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Social media may be dismissed for being harmful, but some people have mastered the art of using it for constructive purposes. Recently, a little boy from Hyderabad used Instagram to advertise his father’s haleem stall in Moti Nagar, Borabanda. He posted a video of the stall with his father manning it, and also panned the camera to show everyone the chicken haleem, shorba (meat broth), vanaspati ghee, fried onions, mint leaves, lemon and also the plastic boxes that are used to package the haleem. Even the lighting at the stall was highlighted.
After the little boy made an attempt to promote his father’s haleem business online, many people flocked to the stall, which is named Alhamdulillah. The video has garnered 49.4k views and 211 comments. Some users left heartening comments below the post, like:
“Aane wale salon me pappa ki haleem ek brand hoga inshaallah 👏👍🏻
You have won a Million of Hearts brother. And I will pray for u r future inshallah dont worry u will be A PM. Do u r hard work and shine like a Star😇.
May Allah give lots of Barkat in your pappa's income.Ameen ♥️
Cutest video on internet today! Brought a huge smile seeing that little boy help is father in best of his capacity♥️
Allah iss bache ko aur unke walid ko beshumar barqat ata farmaye aur unki har jayaz dua qubool kare!”
Usually made with lamb or goat meat, lentils and wheat, haleem is an Arabic dish that reached India during the Mughal era. Alhamdulillah’s haleem, however, uses chicken.
In the video, the boy, who is named Mohammad Adnan, says “Yeh hamare pappa ki haleem hai. Chicken ki haleem hai. Aapko aana hai toh aaiye” (This is my father’s haleem. It is chicken haleem. Come if you want to). Mohammad Adnan’s Instagram account has 4947 followers. A contact number is also mentioned for those who want to try the haleem.
The video of the haleem stall came at the right time, considering that Ramadan is on and haleem is often eaten for iftar during the Holy month. Preparations for haleem usually begin early in the morning. The meat is mixed with spices and cooked until tender, served with shorba, caramelised onions, cashews, coriander and lemon wedges. Cooking haleem takes 10-12 hours, until it attains a porridge-like consistency.
Haleem is eaten for iftar since it is rich and wholesome, and keeps people satiated for a long time after a whole day of fasting. The dish is popular in the Barkas area of Hyderabad’s Old City, where many Arabs have settled. Hotels, restaurants and street stalls like Alhamdulillah all prepare haleem, especially during Ramadan.
We were left in awe of Mohammad Adnan who, despite his age, had the acumen to post a video of his father’s haleem stall online. Perhaps he knew that social media would help their humble business come to life. It’s a great example of how, sometimes, the simplest of efforts can result in a tidal wave of success.
