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Hyderabad’s Old City is a treasure trove of heritage eateries, some of which are more than centuries old! Many of these eateries and hideaways sell delicacies that have Turkish influences or are made with royal Nawabi recipes. A standout name is situated opposite the famous Mozam Jahi market and sells the famous Jouzi Halwa, an orange-ish red treat which once impressed a Nizam, so much so that he named the store after a Turkish king!
Hyderabad’s Hameedi Confectioners has a cult-like status in the city. The origin of Hameedi Confectioners dates back to 1913 when a 12-year-old Turkish boy named Muhammed Hussain started a small sweets stall. The star offering was its Turkish Jouzi Halwa, a delicacy that gained immense popularity among the locals. The shop's praises reached the ears of Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan Asaf Jah VII, who, intrigued by the acclaim, decided to visit the store to try the Jouzi Halwa.
Impressed with the recipe, the Nizam not only sent a letter of appreciation bearing the royal seal to Hussain but also honoured the unnamed shop with a name inspired by his close relative, King Hamed of Turkey, who was also the last Ottoman ruler to hold absolute power.
Despite having Turkish roots, the delectable Jouzi halwa became popular as Hyderabadi sweet. The special Jouzi halwa at Hameedi has a rich golden-red colour and a dense, fudgy texture which is achieved with ground almonds and sugar syrup. The flavour is intensely nutty and has a strong nutty essence, thanks to cardamom and saffron.
It’s made over 10-12 hours using locally available ingredients like milk, ghee, nutmeg, sugar, dried fruits, saffron, and secret spices imported from Afghanistan. The halwa also incorporates soaked barley extract. The meticulous preparation involves stirring the milk over medium to high heat for hours before introducing the other ingredients. It also features generous portions of ghee, which highlights the nuttiness of the halwa.
The Secret Ingredient
Hameedi Confectioners boasts a daily output of around 100-125 kg of halwa across its two branches. Beyond the famed Jouzi halwa, the establishment is celebrated for a variety of authentic Hyderabadi sweets, including Saffron Ashrafi, Badam Ke Jaali, Motichur Ke Ladoo, Chandi Ke Ashrafi, Khowa Puri and Halwa Sohan Tikki. But the Jouzi halwa is no doubt its star seller, thanks to a key ingredient, which is oat milk; in Urdu, ‘jouz’ means oats and oat milk has a natural nuttiness which shows up in its profile quite easily and enhances the nutty flavours in the halwa.
But the halwa also boasts a secret ingredient, that is a part of the centuries-old original recipe and has not been disclosed to the public. Mohammed Anees Ul Hussain, the current proprietor of the brand shared in a 2020 interview that though several former employees have tried to sell Jouzi halwa independently, they haven’t found much success, thanks to the closely guarded ingredient, known only to the family.
This special mix is made with 2-3 dried fruits and lends the halwa its signature taste. If you can’t make it to Hyderabad, it’s hard to find authentic Jouzi halwa anywhere else. But the good news is that Hameedi Confectioners ships its signature dessert and you could score some Jouzi halwa online!
