This goat and lentil stew is a beloved Ramadan tradition in Hyderabad, India

Workers pound the steaming mixture of meat, lentils, wheat and spices with long wooden paddles to give the haleem its signature smooth texture. (Sushmita Pathak / NPR)

HYDERABAD, India — It's the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the Royal Hyatt convention center, which usually hosts wedding receptions, has been turned into a kitchen for Pista House, one of this southern Indian city's top restaurants. A huge hall is full of dozens of workers dressed in yellow shirts and hair nets, busy crushing cardamom pods, peeling onions and de-stalking little piles of fresh green chili peppers.

But there's only one dish on the menu.