Haleem

Build the Meal Around Haleem

• Naan
• Lemon, ginger and chaat masala
• Sweet lassi

How to Cook Haleem

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1. Drain the soaked wheat and barley, add all the dals, cover with 1.5 litres of water and simmer 90 minutes until everything has completely collapsed. Top up with hot water as needed.

   Mark done

2. Meanwhile, heat the ghee in a separate heavy pot and fry the onions for 15 minutes until deep brown. Lift half out for garnish.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook 2 minutes, then the chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander, and fry 2 minutes.

   Mark done

4. Add the meat and brown it well, then add 1 litre of water and the salt. Simmer covered for 2 hours until it falls apart.

   Mark done Start 2 hr timer

5. Blend the grain and lentil mixture with a stick blender until smooth.

   Mark done

6. Shred the meat in its own pot with two forks, then combine everything into the larger pot.

   Mark done

7. Now pound and beat the mixture with a wooden masher or the flat of a heavy spoon for 20 to 30 minutes over very low heat, until it becomes uniform, thick and slightly stringy. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

8. Stir in the garam masala and taste for salt.

   Mark done

9. Serve topped with fried onions, ginger, chilli and coriander, with lemon and chaat masala on the side.

   Mark done

Related guide: Prep, cook and total time.

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A Few Notes

Pound it for at least twenty minutes. That is the entire dish.

Cook the grains and the meat separately, then combine.

Keep hot water to hand — haleem thickens fast and catches easily.

Ingredient Swaps

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the green chillies. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• If you only have ground ginger, a quarter-teaspoon for each tablespoon of fresh is the ratio usually given; it tastes warmer and less bright than the fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Leftovers

Refrigerate up to 4 days and freeze 3 months. Reheat with water, beating as it warms.

Questions and Answers

Haleem Nutrition

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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