Hyderabad pledges loyalties to haleem makers

With haleem, the signature dish during Ramadan, getting into the Rs 100 crore plus category, big players in the space are fighting it out on social media with allegations of not adhering to quality and taste flying thick and fast and city folks taking sides of one or the other brand in the war.

IT/ITeS professionals especially working in Hitec City area go haleem hopping in groups and take to social media in a big way. Raghuram, a call centre employee says, “People can get even nasty. So much is the liking for a particular haleem prepared by a certain vendor that they would not listen to any negative remark.”

While Pista House seems to be the leader of the pack, there are at least half-a-dozen haleem makers in the market who are vying for a piece of the Rs 100 crore pie. Shah Ghouse, Shadab, Café Bahar, Sarvi, Hotel Niagara, Paradise, 555 and several others are in the fray.

Hyderabadis are strong supporters of a particular brand of haleem and have taken to social media lambasting other makers. Ram, software professional and a resident of Gunrock in Secunderabad says, “There are a lot of people who swear by a particular brand and would go to any extent to support. Just like film stars have avid supporters, the meat stew too now has supporters.”

There are at least close to 800-1,000 food joints and small eateries that prepare haleem. This year even in small colonies, haleem joints have sprung up. Haleem got the GI tag in 2010 and after biriyani, it is the most sought after dish, especially during the holy month of Ramadan.