THE DELECTABLE HYDERABADI HALEEM

Haleem is just a word, but for the people who know it, it's a feeling, an emotion that is aligned with happiness and euphoria from each bite of it.

Every Ramadan the people of Hyderabad rush to restaurants looking for this exact scrumptiousness all around, waiting in lines just to relish the classic Hyderabadi Haleem.

The history of the Haleem recipe goes back to the Arabs, it's a succulent mixture of wheat, meat, lentils and spices blended and cooked for hours on a stove of wood or firewood that provides it with a sense of taste that can only be achieved if cooked on it. It came to India in the times of the Mughal rule and then was noticed by the Nizams of Hyderabad.

It has a variety of preparation processes that varies from region to region. People in Yemen prefer to have a sweeter version of the Haleem, people in Hyderabad are more biased towards their raw form of spicy and rich Mutton Hyderabadi Haleem. The Chicken Haleem is not that popular among folks as the spice level is reduced and the taste goes down to almost bland.

Though it is very popular in Hyderabad as the Hyderabadi Haleem it is regarded as an international delicacy all around the globe. There are hundreds of stores all around the world that serve Haleem and have taken the dish to a global level.

For instance, Pista House has stores in the US, UAE and Oman which have introduced the people to the Hyderabadi Haleem.

The industry is very swift in the times of Ramadan, and have become a trend to only serve Haleem in the month of Ramadan as a marketing technique to have as many sales as possible.

We all have noticed the crowds outside the restaurants which go from 100 to 200 people waiting for hours just to get a bucket of Haleem. This in itself shows the number of sales the industry makes during the period. According to the reports before the pandemic, the Haleem business would earn up to 800 crores in the month. This was mainly due to the rise in the GST prices on the product.

In Bangalore, Pista House sells 330g packs of Haleem for ₹ 210 and a family pack of 1,600g that comes in a plastic bucket for ₹ 870. There are 6,000 Haleem makers in Hyderabad alone and more than 600 people are employed in the night shift during Ramadan at Pista House's Hyderabad base to make sure the shipments and stock for local sales are ready in the afternoon. There are around 5,000 units of various restaurants, hotels and individuals setting up makeshift Haleem-selling centres in the city. Usually, during the Haleem season, Biryani sales fall. Haleem selling units create large employment where thousands depend on it.

In 2005 about 2000 to 10000 plates were being sold daily in the Hyderabad market which all together contributed to a market of 22 crores.

Then in 2012 the plates increased to about 30000 daily and contributed to the market for about 120 crores of rupees, out of which 30% of the product was exported to foreign nations such as UAE, Oman. The years from 2005-2011 were said to be the golden years of the Haleem industry as it created a large amount of employment which was up to 50000 people employed in the business.

These years made the Hyderabadi Haleem prominent on the global map making it gain worldwide recognition across all nations.

But then there was a period ahead of it which is the year 2013-2014 which witnessed 30% scaling down of the outlets, many closed, many not serving the Haleem. The number of outlets went down to 4000. This was due to the hard economic times the nation was witnessing due to the economic inflation, the increase in manufacturing cost. However, it was a speedy recovery and the sales were back to normal or better!

But unlike when GST on food was 14.5% and people would have found it tough to pay the tax, now with GST only 5%, all Haleem outlets would be ready to pay.

The price of the Haleem rises 15% every year making it a continuously booming market for competition to enter and succeed if the taste touches the hearts of the people!

What is more surprising to the industry players as well as the people is that every variety has found a place for a specific group of customers, be it the meaty and spicy Hyderabadi Haleem or the Vegetarian Haleem which is sold at selected outlets of specific restaurants, all have a group of customers lined up to get a taste of the sustenance.

The outlets are continuously busy with people coming around from all over the country just to have a bite of the classic Hyderabadi Haleem.

Many restaurants such as Shah Ghouse, Pista House and Shadab have their delicacies sold on the food delivery apps like Swiggy, Zomato, which bring in a huge amount of customers and have created more and more talk around the country for the Hyderabadi Haleem, so much so that the pearl city is now also famous for its Hyderabadi Haleem.

The sales had gone up tremendously for the Haleem as many people find it easy to go through some clicks and have deliciousness delivered at their doorsteps.

The increasing number of sales has added up to the entire food industry.

It has created a huge number of returns to the food industry and has been one of its top players in creating profit for the industry.

Do you miss those days when we would be all out celebrating each night of Ramadan indulging in those succulent bites of Haleem!

It was a sudden shock to everyone when the lockdown was announced, we do miss being out enjoying all the food delights of the city, what the people of Hyderabad, in general, miss the most is Haleem. No matter how hard people try and recreate that restaurant-quality dish, the Haleem recipe is such a puzzle to crack. People in the city miss the delight and are craving to get back to their normal lives and enjoy it to the most, sadly it's been 2 Ramadan till now and people have not had the opportunity to get back to their normal lives and enjoy the dish.

Do you love Haleem, have you tried it yet?

Let me know in the comments below!