Flavor of Ramzan with its multiple delicacies

Food, fasting and prayer are the core constituents of Ramzan. And Hyderabad comes especially alive during the sacred month of Ramzan with the haunting aroma of Haleem, Harees and Khubani Ka Meetha.

Come Ramzan and the rich aroma of food is in the air. Even as the last rays of the sun disappear in the horizon, the streets are full of crowds rushing towards the hotels. The usual biryani, kebabs and shorba are simply not enough.

The mainstay of food after fastng is the spicy Haleem. Ramzan without “Haleem”, the wholesome food for the fasting people cannot be imagined. At very nook and corner of the city one encounters banners proclaiming the availability of his Ramzan specialty. In case of health constraints with regard of consumption of red meat, Harees, the chicken preparation is second choice. It is truly an experience for the uninitiated.

For those with a sweet tooth, there is Khubani ka meetha to be enjoyed after the Haleem. The Charminar area specially attracts many people for it has more number of food joints which serve the Haleem. As soon as the lid is removed from the huge vessel dug deep into the temporary oven, the aroma of Haleem spreads in the congested room of the hotel.  The din continues till late in the night when the vessel is wiped of its last traces of Haleem.

Of late many hotels have started promoting their Haleem rather prominently. As part of the sales gimmick some hotels have been offering a free Coca-cola or Pepsi bottle with every plate of Haleem purchased. Competition is tough and naturally, no hotelier wants his business to be adversely affected.

Some hoteliers in Charminar area claim that earlier only a few reputed hotels were serving the Haleem. The people of twin cities thronged these hotels and some times advance booking had to be done to ensure a plate bf Haleem in the evening, However the situation is changed now. With a hotel in every lane making the famed Haleem, people do not have to go far.

One can also try making Haleem at home.

The ingredients are wheat, mutton, curd, ghee, garam masala, onions, lemon and green masala. For half a kilo of wheat, the mutton is two kilos i.e. in the ratio of 1:4.

A special type of broken wheat is easily available in the market these days. This broken wheat should be soaked in water overnight so that the outer layer easily comes out. The wheat should be boiled till it becomes soft. 100 grams of Chana dal should be taken and boiled till it becomes soft.

The two should be mixed and ground to make a paste. The mutton should be cut into small pieces and marinated for an hour. Later a half kilo of onions, half kilo curd and garam masala should be added to the mutton. Sufficient quantity of ghee should be added and the mutton should be cooked until it becomes soft.

The wheat and dal paste should be mixed in the mutton and all the ingredients should be cooked on a slow fire till the ghee separates from the paste. The Haleem should be served hot sprinkled with lemon juice.

Another delicacy made during the Ramzan is the Khubani ka meetha. This sweet is usually served with custard or ice cream. Though Ramzan has come during rainy season this year, people relish the khubani ka meetha topped with custard and ice cream. The ice cream-khubhani combination remains an all time favorite with Hyderabad irrespective of the time of the year or occasion.

Since time is of the essence, there is little scope for elaborate cooking procedures during Ramzan. Given below are recipes of dishes that are consumed by both Muslims and non Muslims, during Ramzan and all round the year.

Easy to make Ramzan Recipes with Video Tutorial



No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)