Haleem came to Hyderabad from Arab soldiers in the Nizam's army and is now the defining food of Ramzan in the city, so famous that it carries a Geographical Indication tag. Through the fasting month, eateries cook it overnight in huge brick bhattis, the meat and grain stirred and pounded for hours with long wooden ghotnis.
It is thick, sticky and smooth, with the meat fully broken into strands that bind with the wheat and lentils. The flavour is meaty and gently spiced, lifted at the table with ghee, fried onions, mint, ginger juliennes and lemon. It is eaten at iftar to break the fast, as a rich, filling meal.
At a glance
| Region | Telangana |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Hyderabadi |
| Diet | Non-vegetarian |
| Course | Main course |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 180 minutes |
| Total time | 210 minutes |
| Serves | 6 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Hard |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | mutton / broken wheat / lentils / ghee / fried onions |
Ingredients
For the grains
- 1 cup broken wheat (dalia) or whole wheat, soaked 4 hours
- 2 tbsp chana dal
- 2 tbsp toor dal
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp moong dal
- 2 tbsp barley (optional)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the meat
- 750 g boneless mutton, plus a few bones for flavour
- 1 cup curd
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 6 green chillies, crushed
- 1/2 cup chopped mint
- 1/2 cup chopped coriander
- 1 cup fried onions
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
For topping
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 cup fried onions
- 1 inch ginger, julienned
- mint and coriander leaves
- lemon wedges
- cashews fried in ghee (optional)
Method
- Pressure cook the soaked wheat, dals and barley with turmeric, salt and 5 cups water for 8-10 whistles until completely soft. Blend or mash to a smooth paste.
- In a large heavy pot, heat the ghee and add the mutton, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and green chillies. Fry on high heat for 5 minutes.
- Add curd, garam masala, salt, half the mint and coriander, the fried onions and 4 cups water. Pressure cook for 6-8 whistles, or simmer covered for 1.5 hours, until the mutton falls apart.
- Remove the bones. Shred the meat with two forks, or pulse briefly in a blender with its stock, until it is in fine strands.
- Combine the meat and its stock with the wheat-lentil paste in the heavy pot. Cook on low heat for 40-60 minutes, stirring and beating vigorously with a wooden masher every few minutes, until the mixture is thick, stretchy and smooth and the meat is completely amalgamated. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
- Stir in the remaining mint and coriander. The haleem should be thick but spoonable, with ghee glistening on top.
- To serve, ladle into bowls, pour hot ghee over each and top with fried onions, ginger, mint, coriander and cashews, with lemon on the side.
Tips
- The long, patient beating is what gives haleem its silky, elastic texture; do not skip it.
- Use a mix of bone-in and boneless mutton for better flavour.
- Haleem thickens as it cools; loosen leftovers with hot water while reheating.
Serve with
Lemon wedges and extra fried onions; Hyderabadis often add a spoon of shorba.