Tandur red gram

Tandur red gram is a variety of pigeon pea (Tur dal) that is grown in the Tandur region in Vikarabad district of Telangana, India has got geographical indication (GI) tag.

The Geographical Indication tag was granted in December 2022 to the Yalal Farmers Producers Company Ltd, which had applied for 'Tandur red gram' with the support of Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University (PJTSAU). It is the first agricultural commodity in the state to get the GI tag.

The specialty of the Tandur red gram is that it "tastes better, cooks faster and has a longer shelf life of cooked dal" as it is grown in the fertile deep black soil of this region which has huge deposits of Attapulgite clay mineral along with huge limestone deposits.

Tandur red gram contains around 22–24% protein, which is almost three times the protein content of cereals.

Individual farmers and dal mill owners in Tandur will now have to register themselves as authorized users and begin branding Tandur red gram with the GI tag to secure better prices, as the tag is a guarantee of quality. Approximately 63,500 households in the area are currently engaged in Tandur Red Gram farming.

The perennial legume known as the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) belongs to the Leguminaceae family (Fabaceae). It also goes by the names pigeonpea, arhar, and tur. Since its introduction in India at least 3,500 years ago, its seeds have spread throughout Asia, Africa, and Latin America and are now a staple food grain. It is mostly consumed on a huge scale in south Asia and is a significant source of protein for those living there.
Importance:

Red gram is a staple meal with high in protein.

1. It has a protein content of roughly 22%, which is nearly three times that of cereals.
2. A significant portion of the country's vegetarian population's protein needs is met by the red gram.
3. Due to the complementary nature of the necessary amino acids, when wheat or rice is coupled with red gram, the biological value increases significantly.
4. Lysine, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, and iron are particularly abundant in them.

The major markets for this crop in Telangana are Badepalli, Devarakadra, Gadwal, Mahabubnagar, Narayanpet, Sadasivpet, Zaheerabad, Suryapet, Tandur and Warangal. The major markets in neighboring states are Kadiri, Narsaraopet, Tiruvuru, Kurnool, Yeminiganur and Ongole in Andhra Pradesh, Gulbarga, Sedam, Yadgiri, Bidar, Bijapur, Bellary and Bagalkote in Karnataka, and Akola, Latur, Jalgaon and Nagpur in Maharashtra.

In Telangana major redgram growing districts are Vikarabad 57660 ha (142480 acres), Sangareddy 33757 ha (83416 acres), Narayanpet 31177 ha (77040 acres), Adilabad 23051 ha (56961 acres) Asifabad 15107 lakh ha (37329 acres), Mahabubnagar 9044 ha (22348 acres) and Rangareddy 7137 ha (17635 acres). According to Telangana State Government 2nd advance  estimates, redgram production in 2022-23 is at at 2.06 lakh tonnes from 2.28 lakh ha (5.63 lakh acres) with productivity of 903 Kg/ha (365 Kg/acre).

World major redgram producing countries are India (42.80 lakh tonnes), Malawi (4.24 lakh tonnes), Myanmar (3.39 lakh tonnes), Tanzania (1.36 lakh tonnes) and Haiti (1.23 lakh tonnes).

https://krishijagran.com/agriculture-world/telanganas-tandur-red-gram-receives-geographical-indication-gi-tag/

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Hyderabadi Haleem

Hyderabadi Haleem, a slow-cooked dish made with meat, broken wheat, lentils, and spices, holds a special place in Hyderabad's culinary landscape, especially during Ramadan. Introduced by the Arab diaspora during the Nizam rule, it underwent local adaptations, becoming a symbol of the city's rich gastronomic heritage.

Hyderabadi haleem originated in the Middle East and is popular in the Indian city of Hyderabad. The Middle Eastern version of haleem is mild in spices and does not contain lentils. It came to India in the Mughal kitchen during the time of Babur.

The 6000+ members of the Hyderabad Haleem Makers Association lobbied for and successfully secured a GI Tag for their dish in August 2010,  It is the first non-vegetarian dish in India to receive it. 

'Hyderabad Haleem' is a cherished meat delicacy deeply rooted in the traditions of Hyderabad, India, particularly during the sacred Islamic month of Ramzan. This rich, high-calorie stew serves as a perfect culmination to the day's fast, known as 'Iftar.' The fundamental components of wheat, ghee, and meat are meticulously combined in equal proportions to create this delectable dish. While these three ingredients form the core, a medley of aromatic spices, nuts, and fragrant Basmati rice further elevate the flavor and aroma of 'Hyderabad Haleem.' The finishing touch of garnishing and a generous drizzle of clarified butter infuses it with a distinctive brownish, golden-yellow hue. Slow-cooked to perfection, 'Hyderabad Haleem' boasts a smooth, paste-like consistency, making it an indispensable part of the 'Iftar' tradition during Ramadan in Hyderabad.

Haleem is traditionally slow cooked overnight, while two to three people are required to continuously stir it. The lentils, rice and the meat and spices are cooked separately. Thereafter they are combined and pounded together to achieve a unique paste-like consistency. Lastly, it is garnished with nuts, berista (caramelized onion), herbs like coriander and mint, green chillies and lemon juice.

Pista house, a famous Hyderabadi restaurant, established in 1997 has played a humongous role in popularizing Haleem all the more. Not only has Pista House come up with vegetarian Haleem to accommodate a wider crowd but has also made it available for foreigners by opening up branches in USA and Oman.

Although Haleem had reached Hyderabad during the reign of the sixth Nizam Mahbub Ali Khan, it only became Hyderabad’s own under the seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan in the first half of the 20th century. Sultan Saif Nawaz Jung Bahadur, a scion of Al-Qu'aiti dynasty of Yemen, then a prominent noble in the seventh Nizam’s court, all the more popularized the dish when he used it as the star of his dinner parties. 

Madina Hotel at Pathargatti, one of the oldest restaurants in the city, introduced Haleem to its menu in 1956, making this royal delicacy accessible to the common people of Hyderabad.
 

Arabic name: The Arabic name Halim or Haleem is a masculine name that means "gentle," "patient," "understanding," or "slow to anger". In Islam, Al-Halīm is one of the 99 names of God.

Persian word: The Persian word haleem means "oatmeal-like dish 

The dish is also known as Hareesa in Arabia and Armenia, Daleem in Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, and northern Iraq, and Khichra in Pakistan.

Harees or Jareesh, a predecessor to Haleem, is still sold in the Irani eateries of Hyderabad and is a staple in the streets of the area known as Barkas, famously called Little Arabia. This area once served as the Nizam’s military cantonment, housing mostly Chaush people (Hadhrami Arabs who settled in the Deccan region). The word Baraks finds its origin in the English word ‘barracks’. The name Barkas is also attributed to an area in Saudi Arabia called ‘ Wadiya Barkas’, the native land of a regiment serving as the Nizams’ esteemed bodyguards. This large settlement of the Arab population heralded the confluence of Arab food and culture with the existing Hyderabadi culture.

In contrast to Haleem, Harees would be considered rather bland. It does not contain the elaborate list of desi spices and desi ghee. Instead of Desi ghee, samneh is used, which is clarified butter made from sheep and goat milk, giving a very distinct greasy-meaty flavor. Harees have two variants: sweet and salty.

In Kashmir, Hareesa is a popular dish exclusively eaten during the winter months. Instead of wheat, short-grained rice is used for the preparation of the same. Caramelized onion is replaced by Kashmiri shallot and Desi ghee with mustard oil. It's eaten along with Kashmiri bread.

North Kerala consumes a sweeter version of Haleem called Aleesa or Alsa. Along with the ingredients used in a typical Hyderabadi haleem, coconut milk, sugar and raisins are a merry addition. From the 7th century onwards, Arab merchants traded on the Malabar coast. Many of these traders married local women, giving rise to the Mappila Muslim community. Hereon Arab dishes were inducted into the religion. Arabic cooking techniques were assimilated with the local spices and ingredients, birthing the distinct Mappila cuisine.

Among Bohras, a Muslim community from Yemen who settled on the coast of Gujarat around the 11th century, take pride in a haleem-like dish called Khichra. Khichra is not as spicy as Haleem and the meat pieces are not pounded and mixed as in the case of Haleem but rather left as tiny chunks. The city of Lucknow and the areas in its vicinity are also acquainted with Khichra

Primarily, haleem is associated with Islamic festivals. But to most people’s surprise, Jews from Persia have been eating Harees on Sabbath day (seventh day of the week, observed as day of rest) since medieval times. On the other hand Syrian Christians prepare it on the Feast of Assumption (marks Virgin Mary’s ascent to Heaven).

The world-famous Hyderabadi Haleem is an endowment of Arabic cuisine to this land but throughout the Indian subcontinent, we see various variations of the dish. Each region has added indigenous elements to the plain yet mesmerizing Harees. Nevertheless the basic structure and ingredients of the dish remain the same as Harees. Like a lot of many delicacies, Harees touched our lands, got accustomed to our palate and then became our very own Haleem.

Hyderabadi Haleem Recipe

1. 2 kilograms mutton
2. 2 teaspoon ginger paste
3. 5 tablespoon urad dal
4. 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
5. 2 cup yoghurt (curd)
6. 1/2 cup cashews
7. 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
8. 1/2 cup ghee
9. 1/2 cup mint
10. water as required
11. 3 tablespoon yellow moong dal
12. 2 cup broken wheat (dalia)
13. 2 teaspoon garlic paste
14. 5 tablespoon chana dal
15. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
16. 1 cup onion
17. 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
18. 1 inch cinnamon stick
19. 1 cup coriander leaves
20. 6 green chilli
21. 3 tablespoon toor daal
22. salt as required
23. For Garnishing 2 lemon wedges

https://recipes.timesofindia.com/recipes/hyderabadi-haleem/rs54672891.cms

https://brownhistory.substack.com/p/the-legendary-haleem-of-hyderabad

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