Haleem is available throughout the year in Calcutta and is especially made during the month of Ramazan throughout the Islamic world. The Arbi Halim, another name for low-cost beef haleem that is available all through the year, is found in most parts around Park Circus, Colootola, Chitpur and other Muslim pockets of the city. It costs only Rs 10 (it used to be Rs 7 till recently) and is a great evening snack. Made of lentils and meat and cooked for many hours, it is a rich nutritious dish. It is said that the perfect haleem is where the meat blends with the lentils and rice (or wheat in some parts) and you can’t tell the ingredients separately.

In the month of Ramazan, several Mughlai restaurants in the city prepare special haleem and the most notable of them (something I’ve almost grown up on) is the haleem made at the Aminia restaurant opposite the Nakhoda Mosque main gate. We often take our Calcutta Walks guests to these restaurants to get a taste of the local flavour.

There are many more favourites that we visit but I’ve picked the best six to get you started. You only have till Eid (August 31) so if this dish is down your alley, step out soon!

Aminia

The paaya (goat’s leg) is simmered for 20 hours at Aminia

A walk through central Calcutta’s congested Zakaria Street will take you to Aminia. During Ramazan, shops crop up in the middle of the road selling everything from fabric to seviyan. Yet no one complains, everybody adjusts. It is in the midst of this, that you find Aminia, going strong since 1929.

Inside its soiled and busy kitchen, the preparation for the haleem begins the night before at 10pm. Once ready, the stew is carried outside in a gigantic dek by four men with the help of bamboo poles. It is sold to wayfarers and shoppers.

USP: “Our variety — we have six types of haleem, from maghaz (brain) to zabaan (tongue),” says Jahangir Alim, the manager.

Variety: The Beef Arbi Haleem (Arbi derived from Arabic/ Saudi Arabia) is the most popular. There’s Beef Special, Beef Maghaz, Mutton, Chicken and even Chicken Boneless Haleem!

Timings: 1pm to 7pm.

Price: Between Rs 44 for the Beef Arbi Haleem and Rs 70 for the Mutton.

SPECIAL MENTION

ISLamia

Colootola Street’s (the lane connecting Canning Street with Central Avenue) Islamia deserves a special mention. If you’re a newbie to the world of haleem, I recommend you begin with this tamer version which is less spicy but as delicious!

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Arsalan

Iftekhar packs some haleem for home

Biryani, bharta or chaanp… Arsalan is a favourite. Located at the Park Circus gol chakkar, this branch of the popular Mughlai brand is only nine years old but has picked up commercially because of its Bengali clientele. Twenty deks (around 300 plates) are prepared and sold from under a special shed outside the restaurant, every day.

USP: “We use seven types of dal and 25 kinds of jari buti masalas,” says the F&B manager T. Hussain.

Variety: Mutton and Chicken.

Timings: 2pm to 8pm.

Price: Rs 80 a plate.

Alliah

For the last 70 years, during Ramazan, a large handi is placed outside the takeaway section of this Muslim restaurant, located at the head of Waterloo Street, less than a minute from Paradise cinema. A plate of fresh coriander leaves and another with limes cut into quarters lies on the table beside the handi. As a waiter awaits his turn to fill a plate for a customer, the man serving the haleem dips his ladle into the stew and like Moses’s faithful followers crossing the Red Sea, you see the colour of the orange rogan (the oil) parting to reveal a thick paste of lentils and meat. This is Aliah’s Ramazan Special Haleem.

USP: “We use pure saffron (around Rs 180,000 a kg) which makes all the difference,” says Nizamuddin, the munshi who mans the cash counter. “The khashi mangsho is so soft that even the old folk can easily eat it,” adds the man behind the handi who dishes out “at least 500 plates daily”.

Variety: Chicken (on Thursdays) and mutton.

Timings: 3pm to 6pm.

Price: Rs 65 a plate.

Sufia

Two shops away from Aminia stands Sufia. Outside the tiny restaurant, a man stirs the haleem, seated on a makeshift bench in the middle of the marketplace. This has been his spot for the last 20 years during this season of fasting. Far more worried about serving the queue of customers that’s getting longer by the minute, he speaks but a few words.

USP: “Our quality is very good. People keep coming back for more,” says the man. It is still one of the places where the stew is served in earthern pots and not plastic containers.

Variety: Only beef.

Timing: 2pm to 6pm or until the handi is empty.

Price: Rs 40 a plate.

Near the Tipu Sultan mosque

Walk past the mosque at the Esplanade crossing and there are old wooden benches parked on the side of the street where people enjoy a bowl of haleem, cooked in the open, less than 10ft away from where they sit. Here, Arbi Haleem Beef is cooked throughout the year and at Rs 10 you get a small quantity, which is less rich because the cooking process is shorter.

A more sheltered spot of the lot is the 1937 Firdous Golden Cafe, nestled in the lane behind the mosque and manned by fourth-generation Bashir Mohammed.

USP: “The stock of the paaya (goat’s leg) is simmered for seven-eight hours before it goes into the haleem,” says Bashir.

Variety: At Firdous, there’s mutton haleem. At other places around, the beef variety is sold.

Timings: 4pm to 6.30pm.

Price: Rs 50 a plate at Firdous.

Zeeshan

Located at the head of Congress Exhibition Road, up to 600-700 plates of haleem are sold daily at this Park Circus favourite.

USP: “Our regulars are faithful because of our Lucknowi karigars who lend an authentic touch to the stew,” says Md. Moiz, an employee of the restaurant.

Variety: Mutton.

Timings: 3pm to 7pm. / Price: Rs 65 a plate.

Dr Shaikh Hassan Iqbal and wife tabassum share their home-made haleem recipe

Ingredients

1.5kg mutton and bones

200g wheat grains (soaked overnight)

200g barley (soaked overnight)

200g masoor dal (soaked overnight)

3 medium onions

1tbsp ginger

1tbsp garlic paste

1tsp garam masala (from a portion of 1tbsp black pepper whole, 4tsp jeera, 1tsp clove, 4-5 seeds of big elaichi — roasted & powdered)

2tbsp red chilli powder

1½tbsp coriander powder

1tsp turmeric powder

Salt (to taste)

A pinch of soda

arified butter (ghee) or oil

For garnishing

1 bunch of fresh mint leaves (finely chopped)

1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Green chilli (finely chopped, to taste)

1tsp cumin seeds (roasted and ground)

2 medium-sized pieces of ginger

1 large onion (thinly sliced)

4 lemons (cut into quarters)

Method

1. Heat ghee or oil in a large pan. Fry the onions. Put the meat in the pan and add ginger, garlic, garam masala powder, red chilli powder, coriander, turmeric and salt. Cook.

2. In a separate pan, boil the dals with lot of water, salt and a pinch of soda for 15 minutes.

3. Now mix the dals with the meat after taking out the bones.

4. Stir continuously so that both are mixed properly.

5. Place the pan on low heat and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring continuously.

6. Fry the onions in ghee and drain. When the haleem is cooked, sprinkle the fried onions, sprinkle garam masala powder, fresh mint, and coriander leaves.

7. Garnish with cumin and ginger juliennes. Keep some seasoning separate and serve with haleem.