 |
| The Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad - one of the largest in India |
It's the holy month of Ramzan (also known as Ramadan) here in India - as it is for the rest of the Muslim world; Ramzan marks the ninth month of the Muslim calender and is a time when every devout follower is expected to fast from sunrise to sunset - with no food, drinks or "other distractions" from a celibate life.
Perhaps to compensate for this daily act of self discipline and soul purification the food served at the end of the day's fast (iftar) is usually extraordinarily tasty! The most famous dish here in Hyderabad - which has a higher number of Muslims than the rest of the country at some 40% of the population - is haleem. Every evening hordes of locals flock to outdoor kitchens, restaurants and hotels to buy plates or containers of haleem, which is often eaten on the spot!
 |
| Haleem packets ready to go! |
Haleem is a slow-cooked mixture of mutton or goat's meat and cracked wheat - known in India as dalia. There are also variations using beef and chicken but mutton is the most popular version in Hyderabad. We often make haleem at our home during this time though Yadama, the lady that shares the cooking in our house, is a Hindu so I call her dish "Hindu Haleem"! But thats not to take away from the quality of her cooking because the dish is absolutely delicious and is served with condiments such as fried garlic, sliced red onions, chopped green chillies, lemon wedges and finely minced herbs such as coriander and parsely.
Otherwise we buy haleem from one of our favourite food outlets in the nearby Muslim enclave of Tolichowki; either at the Shah Ghouse restaurant or the Hotel Arbaab which both sell haleem throughout the month of Ramzan and, as you can see from these pictures, its a busy time indeed!
However, this week to celebrate Ramzan in our house I cooked another famous dish served throughout the Muslim world at this time. Harira is a thick hearty soup of boneless lamb, chickpeas, dal and vegetables usually served early in the morning before the fast begins
Here is a recipe for harira ... our kids loved it!
 |
| A hearty breakfast soup for Ramadam |
Ingredients: 100gm chickpeas, soaked overnight and then cooked in pressure cooker for one whistle
100gm green lentils (moong dal) 1T butter 250gm lamb, finely diced 1 red onion, minced 500gm tomatoes, peeled and chopped 2 T parsley, finely chopped 2 T coriander, finely chopped 1 t ground ginger 1 t tumeric 1 t ground cinnamon 2 egg yolks 3 T lemon juice salt & pepper Plus chopped walnuts, lemon slices and corainder for garnish.
 |
| Harira is cooked in one large pot |
Bring to rapid boil, skim any froth off the top, and cook for 10 minutes at this temperature. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until pulses are tender - 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile beat egg yolks and lemon juice together and stir into the soup. Remove pot from heat and add garnishes - walnuts, coriander and lemon slices. Serve with crusty bread if desired.
Note: First time I cooked this I did not cook the chickpeas in advance ... and as a result they took much longer to cook and were still quite crunchy when served. I suggest partially pre-cooking them in a pressure cooker.
Note 2: This recipe was adapted from a beautiful cookbook called “ Islamic food with a Healing Touch”, written by a renowned food historian and Persian scholar, Salma Husain. More on this book in a later blog.
No comments:
Post a Comment