Haleem Recipe – Healthy medley of Meat and Lentils.

Haleem is a traditional dish extremely popular in Indian subcontinent. Though originating in Persian cuisine now Haleem has its fan following all around the globe. It’s a famous must have specialty in Hyderabad especially during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. No Iftar (breaking of fast) party is complete without the Haleem. This one pot dish is favored by the people of all the age groups.
Haleem is a mix of meat, wheat, lentils, spices and herbs. The traditional way of cooking Haleem is also an art, as it is slow cooked overnight in a large wood fired pots. The consistency of Haleem is in between – not very thick and not very soupy. Haleem has its own health benefits as it’s an amalgamation of lentils, cracked wheat and mutton, it’s a rich source of proteins and complex carbs. Haleem is both a popular street food in India and also an admired delicacy in restaurants. The choice of meat depends on one’s own preference. You can make Haleem using goat meat, chicken and lamb. My personal favorite is goat meat as I like the texture and flavor better when cooked with goat meat.

Best Mutton Haleem Recipe

Let’s start making this super delicious dish at home. The ingredients list I’m sharing here is not at all complicated and the Haleem recipe is super fun and easy to follow. Instead of whole wheat, I’m using cracked wheat which is widely available and easy to cook.

List of ingredients for mutton stew

Mutton – 2 lbs. (with bones)
Onions – 4 large (finely sliced)
Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tsp.
Yogurt – 1 cup (whisked)
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Fennel powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder. – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala powder – 3tsp
Black peppercorns powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 1 cup( for cooking)

Wheat and Lentils

Cracked wheat – 1 cup (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
Lentils – 1/2 cup (chana daal, red masoor daal, moong daal, split black udad daal) – soaked in water for 30 minutes.

Garnishing

Fresh coriander leaves – 1 cup (chopped)
Fresh mint leaves – 5/10 (chopped)
Ghee 2 tbsp.

Step by step guide to prepare best mutton Haleem

Step 1 – In a large pan add oil and add sliced onions. Let them fry on a medium high flame by continuously stirring. Once they are crispy brown dish out the onions in a separate plate.

Step 2 – In the same oil add the mutton pieces and fry them. Add ginger garlic paste and let the mutton fry on high flame for a couple of minutes.

Step 3 – Once the oil separates and mutton pieces are browned add whisked yogurt, half of the fried onions and all the powdered spices. Mix them well and let it further fry for 5 to 10 minutes. Add water if necessary so the spices and mutton doesn’t get burned.

Step 4 – Add enough water and simmer the flames to low. Cover the lid and let the mutton cook till it’s tender.

Step 5 – In a separate pot add the washed and soaked cracked wheat and lentils and add enough water to cook them. Bring it to boil and then simmer the flames to low. Cover it and let them cook for at least an hour or till wheat and lentils gets mushy.

Step 6 – Once the mutton is tender, shred the mutton pieces and discard the bones. Add the bone marrow also back in the mutton stew with shredded mutton pieces.

Step 7 – In a blender, blend the wheat and lentils mixture to a fine smooth paste.

Step 8 – In a large pot combine the mutton with stew, blended paste of cracked wheat and lentils, chopped fresh coriander leaves and chopped mint leaves. Adjust the water for thickness of Haleem. Adjust the salt at this point. Cover the lid and let it further cook for 30 minutes.

Step 9 – Garnish the Haleem with remaining fried onions and drizzle it with melted ghee. The delicious Mutton Haleem is ready to be served!!

Readymade spice mixes

There are tons of readymade Haleem masalas available in the market. While lots of the available mixes are high on sodium and the pungency is excessive, Lucky Masale has come up with the spice blend for Haleem which has the right proportion of all the spices. The sodium is low in Lucky Haleem mix and the pungency is just right for your taste buds. Lucky Haleem mix 50gms packet is the perfect concoction of the spices to give you the best Haleem/ khichda.

Useful tips for Haleem recipe

You can use any meat of your preference. The cooking time will be different with the meat selection. The chicken will be fastest to cook, and lamb will take more time as compared to goat meat.
Combination of the lentils will bring out the best flavor.
The leftover Haleem can easily be refrigerated for a week.
You can also make Haleem well in advance and can freeze it for later use.
When thawing the frozen Haleem, transfer it into a pot and let it simmer on low flame. Add the water to adjust the thickness and garnish it with fried onions chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Don’t forget to drizzle it with melted ghee as it enhances the flavor.
You can also use pressure cooker while cooking Haleem. The use of pressure cooker will cut the cooking time by half without compromising the taste.
Haleem can be garnished with other toppings also like toasted cashews, sliced green chilies and ginger juliennes.
Haleem can also be cooked in slow cooker overnight, as slow cooking helps in tenderizing the mutton and wheat and lentils more easily. The overnight cooking enhances the flavor also as all the mutton juices are deeply infused with the stew, wheat and lentils.

How to serve Haleem?

The savory stew of mutton and wheat and lentils is best served hot with the lemon wedges on the sides. Most of the people like to savor Haleem as itself. Haleem can definitely be served with the wide variety of flatbreads. As it’s a one pot complete meal, Haleem can be cooked anytime as a one absolute dish, or it can also be served with other main dishes at your next party. Haleem is a dish which is cherished through generations in Indian subcontinent and there is not dearth of Haleem’s die-hard fans. So my personal advice is do not wait to try this super nutritious dish. Enjoy it with your loved ones!!