Blog Post

Jauzi Halwa – The Hyderabad Nizam’s Favourite Sweet

June 27, 2020

Dessert, Recipes

2 min read

I’d moved to Hyderabad for work and the city fascinated me. It’s a very warm and welcoming city and I felt right at home here. Old City Hyderabad is quite different from the newer areas. I’m always partial to older areas as they offer more insights into food history. Opposite to Mouzamjahi Market in Old City is a sweet shop called Hameedi confectioners. It felt like any other sweet shop. Except for a poster on the wall which proclaimed it was from the Prime Minister of the Hyderabad State under the Nizam. I asked for the speciality of the house. I was told about the Jauzi Halwa, Akbar Halwa and Motti Ladoo. Jauzi Halwa got my attention. Not many sweets use Nutmeg. I did try probing more but they flatly denied giving out the Jauzi Halwa recipe.

Hameedi Confectioners

I can be quite persistent and went to Hameedi Confectioners many times till I met the owner. A gentleman called Mohammed Hussain. He was quite friendly and shared the history of the shop. His Grandfather started this shop and the Jauzi Halwa became so famous that it reached the Nizam of Hyderabad. Who liked it so much. That he declared this as his favourite sweet. The shop displays the original letter sent by the Prime Minister of the State. Asking the shop to be named after the one of the Nizam’s son. Hence the name Hameedi Confectioners.

The Jauzi Halwa has a typical danedaar (rough) texture. It’s got a prominent favour of Nutmeg and Saffron. Regular Milk, Sugar and Milk from Sprouted Wheat, make the base of this sweet. The Jauzi Halwa recipe’s special and it’s a unique sweet of Hyderabad. Hameedi makes two versions of the Jauzi Halwa. The regular version and Double-Jauz (Nutmeg) and Double Saffron version. It’s the latter one, I prefer.

I’ve now been going to Hameedi Confectioners for many years. But I’m yet to see any difference in quality. Hameedi does an excellent job maintaining their legacy.