Shah Ghouse, Hyderabad – A haleem review (with video)

I managed to catch the final Haleem of the season last night – and what a Haleem it was! There’s a fantastic video a little later on and you’ll love it if you’re a Hyderabadi. I’d missed out on Shah Ghouse last year and with the move to Bangalore, things were looking pretty bleak for me this year too. I was sick and tired of hearing about how great it was. People even sent me emails and tweets this year telling what I was missing.

I had a fifth standard flashback and started feeling like that one kid in school whose parents didn’t let him watch Jurassic Park because it was too violent. I made a solemn vow to myself and hopped onto the next bus out of Bangalore. Plans were made and Brighty, Navin and I decided to hit the Shah Ghouse outlet in Tolichowki. The traffic started slowing down as we neared Yousuf Tekri and I instantly knew that this was something big. The entire population of Andhra Pradesh was milling around outside SG, stuffing their respective faces with the culinary miracle, that is Haleem.

There were people everywhere. Cars had double parked well into the middle of the road and there were waiters running all over the place taking orders at a frantic pace. Waiter number 74 (seriously, he had a name tag and everything) took our order and we got our haleem in two minutes. I was in heaven after the first bite. Shah Ghouse used some seriously rich ingredients and turned out quite possibly the best Haleem I have ever eaten. The sheer amount of meat in each plate was astounding. Excellent consistency with just the right amount of spices. I was very happy indeed.


A whole bunch of supplementary businesses have popped up in and around SG. There are stalls selling Khubaani ka Meetha , Kaddu ka Kheer and Persian tea. The only thing we tried was the tea. It was a spicy weak chai that was mildly interesting. More engaging though, was the banner they had strung across the counter.

I’ll put you out of your misery. Decation = Decoction. Last year, Shah Ghouse gave every one a run for their money. This year, they knocked out all the competition in early 90’s Tyson-esque fashion. They successfully whipped the crowd up into a frenzy over their Haleem and they delivered at break-neck speeds. Take a look at this video I managed to capture last night. I’ve seen my share of Haleem joints over the years, but last night was truly epic. You gotta love the supply chain they set up. It’s fantastic to see how popular Shah Ghouse’s Haleem has become. I’ll say this much, folks. Believe the hype!

SG should have totally been on the Haleem Highlight reel I did last year. If you’re in Hyderabad during Ramzan, make it a point to eat at Shah Ghouse. If you don’t, you’re missing something.

Over and out! πŸ˜€


5 Comments Add yours

  1. abraaz khannam says:

    & no wonder i would rate Pista house then paradise for the BEST HALEEM EVER and Always….

  2. abraaz khannam says:

    NO ..manh i cant have this shah ghouse haleem.. & i agree with u gurpeet that its sour in taste but may be its because of some some ingredient and evn the buzz is that shah ghouse is a mixture of both beef as well as goat meat..many of us also dont prefer that as its not worth paying for that mixed meat.

  3. gurpeet says:

    yyuuuucckkk to shah ghouse haleem,these peopl r just spoiling the shaan oh haleem by adding BEEF and some kind of cheap ingerdients which is burning the throat aftr having 2 spoons of haleem nd its just waste of money.
    i kindly request these shah ghouse people not to do all such kinds of things as hyderabadi haleem had just got the GI tag.
    if any1 frm any othr place taste dis shah ghouse haleem den it will become a remark on that beautiful tag.
    HONORS TO THE LANDMARK PLACE FOR BEST HALEEM (PISTA HOUSE)WHICH HAVE MADE HYDERABAD GET ANOTHER FAMOUS IDENTIFICATION AFTER BIRYANI….

    1. @ Gurpreet – Do you work for Pista House by any chance? Adding beef to haleem wont burn your throat. You probably took a huge bite as soon you get your hands on the plate and got burnt because you didn’t wait for the stuff to cool down. Gargle with two tablespoons of Burnol dissolved in warm water. You’ll be fine.

  4. Ashith Rai says:

    Dhruv,

    Quite an interesting take on Haleem. If I am a foodie, after reading your review I’ll not think twice about going over to SG. You have captured well the ambience and the essence of food :)Lastly, I liked your video πŸ™‚

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