Hyderabad: Orders pouring in at Haleem Degcha store

Begum Bazar: As Ramazan is just around the corner, preparations for installing 'Haleem ka Degcha' by Haleem makers have gathered momentum. Haleem specialists are queuing up to procure the enormous container used in earthen oven in which Ramzan's delicacy is prepared.

After Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao clarified that there would be no lockdown, the Haleem sellers heaved a sigh of relief and started purchasing equipment for making Haleem.

The 85-year-old Regal Utensil Store in Begum Bazaar is said to be the only 'Haleem ka Degcha' maker for all the major hotels in the city including Paradise, Café Bahar, Bawarchi group, Grand Hotel, Pista House, Shadab, Shah Ghouse and Zafran.

Its owner Shaik Ateeq along with his manager Jahangir claims that all the major hotel chains of the city purchase the Haleem deghcha on priority from store. "Ours is one of the oldest stores which supplies the degchas, biryani handisand bagonas," said Ateeq.

"For preparing Haleem, the utensil should be tough, as the ingredients used in the Haleem will be mixed using large Ghota (pounding woodentool) for at least 5 hours a day. This specialized utensil is made up of 8 gages of aluminum," he added.

Old ones traded for new

They make deghchas starting from 30 pounds capacity and it could go up to 100 pounds of capacity. There is also 500 pounds capacity deghchabut it is made on order only. Every year, all almost all the Haleem sellers exchange their old utensils with new ones.

Almost after a year's gap, both the people and the sellers hope to have a good time. "The confusion over the lockdown again in the city is cleared by the Chief Minister's statement. Each year, during Ramzan I install a seasonal Haleem store at Tolichowki for which I purchase a Degcha from the store," said Mohammed Kaleem, a Haleem seller.

In the wake of surge in Covid cases, Haleem outlets are ensuring strict observance of 'No Mask No Haleem' rule.