Hyderabad: The capital city of Haleem was robbed of the joy of its festive Ramadan season and its dish ‘Haleem’. Lovers of this non-veg delicacy who missed the flavours and essence of Ramadan amidst lockdown can now enjoy the city’s culinary trademark being offered at several outlets.
Foodies are flocking towards stalls of restaurants like Shahi Dastarkhwan, Peshawar Restaurant, Shah Ghouse, Fanooz at various junctions of the city.
Though, Pista House and Shadab, household names in the business are depraving their loyal customers as they are closed.
However, unlike the previous year, the delectable dishes are a bit more expensive this time around. Regular haleem which was sold for Rs. 180 last year now costs Rs. 60 more. The family pack once priced at Rs. 540 is now sold for Rs. 720.
Despite the lack of haleem outlets to satisfy their taste buds during this watered-down Ramadan, Muslims still enjoyed the culinary delight in its homemade form.
Although the same cannot be said for non-Muslims. Ramesh, “I am glad that my all-time favourite food is back. I thought that I would not get to enjoy its flavours due to the lockdown.”
While the pandemic is still preventing people from venturing out and about, devotees of the dish like Faroqui say “This time I will not let COVID-19 from buying haleem.”
Although lockdown restrictions have been eased, it is highly recommended that people still uphold social distancing norms when consuming the dish at these stalls.