Much like a visit to the stadium to watch your favorite team play is incomplete without the exclusive jersey, some festivals lack flavor without some delicacies exclusive to its heritage. Like candy sticks for Christmas-or Haleem for Ramadan. Hyderabad has put itself on the national map of yummy food, a la Biriyani, and it continues to captivate with a bevy of eateries offering Haleem to choose from. Haleem is a Muslim-native dish prepared with meat, vegetables, and occasional pulses, and variants are offered India-wide, varying on the calorie intake and recipes.
1. Pista House
Pista House is the name to look for when you want your Haleem of the best quality while in Hyderabad. Popular in equal measure for its Biriyani as well, the Haleem this House prepares is sent cross-nation to Mumbai, Chenna, and southern states among others, and exported to the Middle East. With extensive media coverage and customer-friendly retail, this shop is a foodies paradise. Its food feeds the eye as well, and now offers diet menus on the side.
2. Hotel Shadab
Say what you will about your fancy deluxe restaurants cropped up nowadays, nothing quite beats the feeling Dhaba-food off the highway generates inside you after a long drive. And say what you will about new skyscraper-adorned cities too, the lighted crowded flea markets are the real assets, in my opinion. And guess what? Hotel Shadab combines both wonderfully. Located in the Old City, you’ll find it in Ramadan chock full of hungry tourists devouring its Mohammedan delicacies, and who can complain really, given the taste and convenient options like takeaway meals?
3. Charminar Food Stalls
If you’ve ever lost your way walking through Kolkata’s Esplanade area, you will understand all that I want to convey about Charminar Food Stalls. A veritable flea market congregation that always looks like Diwali here. This is one place you can go to for your Haleem just as soon as you can go to collect souvenirs for your mother from your latest Ramadan tour to Hyderabad. Thronged with people at all hours, there is a lot to satisfy their appetites here-from India-class lassi, to sweet, to kebab, to Haleem stores. An added bonus? It’s in Old City. Happy roaming!
4. Cafe Bahar
Cafe Bahar is a total combo pack-several types of globally adored cuisine, exquisite food quality, and lodging that can accommodate both your dinner date for two and your Big Fat Indian Wedding. It has food selections in Chinese, Biriyani, Kebab, dessert, and other styles, ensuring you’ll be spoilt for choice. The reason why I’m recommending this eatery to you as a place to go looking for Haleem is that it’s recognized and awarded. Yes, awarded for the quality of its Haleem. The only downside would be that there are no branches of this wonder, but that’s hardly a problem anymore, thanks to technology, which partners beautifully to bring to you the essence, through apps like Zomato and Swiggy!
5. Sarvi Restaurant
This restaurant, standing on the glamorous Banjara Hills, is unique in a number of ways. Remember when you didn’t get eggs on your Biriyani and felt like you were on Cloud Nine when you actually got them? Yes? Well. Sarvi is treating its Haleem-loving customers to the same slice of Paradise, offering Haleem with an egg and cashew nuts. Moreover, its quite a stylish place-if you are on the lookout for an occasional bright star while busy with your dinner, this is your place, as celebrities have been known to make appearances here not infrequently. It is indigenous too, and that’s always added spice. Home delivery is available.
Festivals make for gorgeous food, especially so when you are in India. Ramadan is no exception, Haleem is a leader, and Hyderabad is one of the best places to have some. A match made in foodie heaven, I say. There’s an assortment of choicest joints. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your forks and spoons and napkins and dig in.