The original Arabic version of Haleem was called Harees and first made its debut in the Indian Subcontinent during Humayun’s reign. The dish was his favorite post-morning prayer meal and was often part of the Mughal menu.

This porridge of meat and lentils made a resurgence during the rule of the Nizams in the early 19th century. By the time of the 7th Nizam, the dish had gained more widespread popularity in the State of Hyderabad, and the recipe and name evolved to what we know today as Haleem.

High in Calories and comprised of slow-digesting ingredients, it is a favorite meal to open the fast with during the month of Ramadan. I usually like to cook my Haleem in one large pot over a simmering stove. For an extended period of time. Although I have tried cooking it in a slow cooker and, more recently, the much raved about Instant Pot, I will honestly say that I prefer my stovetop method, hands down.

This is the version of the recipe I’m sharing here today. However, I sometimes resort to using one shortcut, which can be found on https://untoldrecipesbynosheen.com/2020/10/12/mazedar-beef-haleem/

INGREDIENTS

Spice Blend (For 2 Pounds of Meat)

• 10 whole dry red chillies
• 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp whole white cumin seeds
• 2 pods black cardamom
• 4 pods green cardamom
• 5 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 4 mace flowers
• 3 tbsp salt
• 3 tbsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp white pepper powder

Lentil Mix (For 2 Pounds of Meat)

• 1 ½ cups Haleem wheat (pounded wheat)
• ½ cup chana daal (bengal gram)
• ¼ cup split urad daal (maash daal)
• ¼ cup masoor daal (red lentils)
• ¼ cup moong daal (yellow lentils)
• ¼ cup pearl barley

Stew Ingredients

• 2 lbs. beef cubes
• 1 cup cooking oil
• 2 tbsp garlic paste
• prepped spice blend
• lentil mix
• 12 cups water
• 1 onion

Garnish

• 4 green chillies
• 1-inch ginger
• 2 lemons
• ½ cup cilantro
• ½ crispy fried onion (optional)
• chaat masala powder (optional)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Spice Blend

1. dry roast all the whole spices in a preheated frying pan for 2-3 minutes
2. grind them all to a fine powder in a spice grinder
3. mix with the other powdered spices
4. use immediately or store in an airtight container

Lentil Mix

1. measure all the lentils into a large bowl
2. rinse thoroughly and soak overnight in 9 cups of water (12 hours)

Stew

1. Heat the cooking oil
2. sauté the garlic paste for 2 minutes
3. add the beef and sauté till light brown
4. rinse and drain the lentils and add them to the meat along with the spice blend and 12 cups of water and bring to a boil
5. lower the heat to medium and slow cook for 2 hours till the meat is tender (SEE NOTE)
6. after 2 hours, remove the meat along with 2 cups of the lentils and grind in a food processor (SEE NOTE)
7. add back to the lentils in the pot and continue cooking for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot (SEE NOTE)
8. after 2 hours, thinly slice and fry the onion to a dark brown and temper the Haleem with the onion and oil
9. continue cooking for 20-30 minutes

Garnish

1. finely chop the cilantro and green chillies
2. thinly slice the ginger
3. quarter the lemon
4. serve the hot Haleem with the garnishing and naan

NOTES:

• After about one hour, the lentils will expand, and the mixture will become a little sticky and gelatinous. At this point, you need to stir the pot at 15-minute intervals to scrape the bottom. If you feel the mixture is too thick, add a little more water but boil it first. Adding room temperature water will stop the cooking process, and it will take you longer to get the desired results.
• A few pulses of the food processor are enough. You want to break down the meat but not completely grind it.
• Once you add the meat and lentils back to the pot and continue cooking, you will need to adjust the salt and chillies. Since the lentils expand so much and you need to keep adding more water, the balance of the spices is often thrown off and needs to be adjusted.

For more recipes like this, go to https://untoldrecipesbynosheen.com/

About Nosheen: She graduated from Southeastern University and completed her high school at Karachi Grammar School. She later worked at Bank of America and ANZ Grindlays Bank. She has also served voluntarily for several boards, including Treasurer of an Elementary School Board, Second Vice President of an Elementary School Board, Treasurer of a Middle School Board, and On the board of a Non-Profit (O.S.E.F-Ocean Springs Education Foundation)

For more interesting recipes from Nosheen, watch this space