About this Dish
A thick, porridge-like stew of slow-cooked wheat, barley and lentils blended with spiced meat until completely smooth — a dish of extraordinary depth that takes 6-8 hours to cook properly. Associated with Ramadan and celebrations. Topped with fried onions, fresh ginger, green chilli, coriander and a squeeze of lime. Soul food at its most profound.
IngredientsServes 4
🍖Bone-in lamb shoulder, 700g cut into large chunks
🌾Whole wheat (gehun), 1 cup soaked overnight
🫘Chana dal (split chickpea lentils), ½ cup soaked 2 hours
🫘Mixed dals (masoor, moong, urad), ¼ cup each soaked 2 hours
🧅Large onions, 3 — 2 thinly sliced for frying, 1 roughly chopped
🫚Neutral oil or ghee, 6 tablespoons
🧄Ginger-garlic paste, 3 tablespoons
🌶️Haleem masala powder, 2 tablespoons (store-bought or homemade)
🥣Plain yoghurt, 4 tablespoons
🍋To serve: fresh lime wedges, sliced green chillies, julienned ginger, crispy fried onions, fresh coriander
Method
1
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil or ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Fry the sliced onions until deep golden brown and crispy, then remove and set aside on paper towel — these become your topping and also flavour the oil beautifully.2
In the same pot, add the remaining oil and fry the chopped onion until soft. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes, then add the lamb, haleem masala, yoghurt, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well and cook on high heat for 5 minutes to seal the meat and build the base flavour.3
Add 1.5 litres of water, the soaked wheat, and all the dals to the pot. Bring to a vigorous boil, skim off any foam, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Cover and cook for 5–6 hours, stirring every 30–45 minutes to prevent sticking, adding splashes of hot water if it becomes too thick.4
After 5–6 hours the wheat will have broken down and the meat will be falling apart. Remove the lamb bones, then use a wooden spoon or hand blender to vigorously beat and blend the haleem — traditional haleem is beaten with a wooden paddle (mathni) in circular motions for 15–20 minutes until it reaches a smooth, cohesive porridge-like consistency. The more you beat it, the better the texture.5
Taste and adjust salt, then simmer uncovered for another 20–30 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly, until the haleem is thick enough that a spoon dragged across the surface leaves a trail that slowly fills back in. It should look glossy and unified, not grainy.6
Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of hot ghee, the crispy fried onions, julienned fresh ginger, sliced green chilli, a handful of fresh coriander, and a generous squeeze of lime. Serve immediately while piping hot — this is best eaten the day it is made.User Reviews
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