Hyderabadi Haleem
A rich, slow-cooked porridge of pounded wheat, lentils and mutton, blended to a smooth paste and finished with fried onions and ghee, iconic to Ramzan evenings in Hyderabad.
- Prep
- 480 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 660 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 400 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy pot
- •Wooden pounder (madani) or hand blender
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 400 kcal
- fat
- 19 g
- carbs
- 35 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 22 g
- calories
- 400 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pressure cook the mutton with half the ginger-garlic paste, whole garam masala and salt until tender. Shred the meat and save the cooking liquid.
- 2
In another pot, boil the soaked wheat and mixed lentils in water for 45-60 minutes. Cook until completely soft and mushy.
- 3
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a large pot and fry the remaining sliced onions until golden. Stir in the remaining ginger-garlic paste and red chilli powder.
- 4
Add the shredded mutton and its cooking liquid to the pot. Let it simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- 5
Stir in the cooked wheat-lentil mixture. Mash everything with a wooden masher or hand blender until thick, smooth and sticky.
- 6
Simmer on low heat for 1-1.5 hours, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add hot water or stock if needed to keep it thick and spreadable.
- 7
Drizzle over a little more ghee. Serve hot, topped with crisp fried onions, fresh mint, coriander and lemon wedges.
Chef's tips
Take your time pounding and simmering to get haleem's signature smooth, stretchy texture. Stir often towards the end so the thick mixture does not catch and burn at the bottom of the pot.
Ingredient substitutions
- mutton → chicken for a lighter version (chicken haleem)
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days; thickens further on cooling.
Reheating
Reheat on low heat with added hot water or stock, stirring frequently to loosen the texture.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Not mashing or pounding enough, which leaves the dish grainy rather than smooth and stretchy.
Serving suggestions
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