Hyderabadi Haleem

Let’s make this Ramadan more special by preparing this recipe of the most delectable “The Royal Hyderabadi Haleem”.

It is a sticky stew of meat, broken wheat, barley, lentils and full of the choicest fragrant and flavourful humble spices and clarified butter. To top it, the crunchy golden brown onions make it a completely divine and comforting dish.

 

Preparation Time: 08 hours including soaking of Broken Wheat, Barley and Dals.

Cooking Time: 02 hours or more

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients and Quantity:

Mutton, boneless- 450 gm.

Clarified Butter (Ghee) – 03 tbsp.

Mutton Stock – 1 ½ cups + 03 cups/ or more as required

Broken wheat- 01 cup

Urad Dal, (Split black gram skinless)- 1/4^th  cup

Chana Dal (Split Bengal Gram)- 1/4^th  cup

Barley- 1/4^th cup

Golden brown Onion- 1/4^th cup

Ginger paste- ½ tsp. + ½ tsp

Garlic paste- ½ tsp + ½ tsp.

Green chillies, chopped- 02 nos.

Yogurt whisked- 01 cup

Freshly ground peppercorn- ½  tsp.

Turmeric- ½ tsp. +¼ ^th tsp.

Coriander powder- ½ tsp.

Ground cumin- 1/4^th tsp.

Caraway seeds- 1/4^th tsp.

Red Chilli powder- ½ tsp + ¼ ^th tsp.

Saffron strands broiled -1/4^th gm.

Mint leaves, chopped- 1/4^th tbsp.

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped- ½ tbsp.

Whole Spices:

Cinnamon stick- ½ inch

Cloves- 03 nos.

Cardamom- 02 nos.

Black peppercorns- 04 nos.

For the Spinkling:

Garam masala powder- ½ tsp.

For the Garnishing:

Spiced Ghee

Clarified Butter 1/4^th tbsp.

Red chilli powder- ½ tsp

Other Garnishes

Golden Brown Onion- 1/2 cup

Fried Cashew nuts- 02 tsp. (Optional)

Fresh Coriander leaves, chopped- 1/4^th tbsp..

Ginger juliennes- 1/4^th tbsp.

Red chilles, chopped- 01 no

Lemon- 01 no.

Method:

Soak overnight, the dals and barley separately in water.

Soak the broken wheat for 02 hours.

To the mutton, add golden brown onion, ½ tsp each of ginger and garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric , coriander powder , ground cumin and caraway seeds. Pressure cook the mix  with 1 ½ cups / or more of mutton stock for 10 minutes  and simmer for another 20 minutes. Shred it with the back of the spoon or fork and set aside. (You may blend it with a hand blender to a coarse paste)

Boil the cracked wheat along with barley, urad and chana dal with ginger, garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies and freshly ground pepper corns in 08 cups of water until it is cooked completely and the water is absorbed. Blend this mixture till it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat the clarified butter in a heavy bottomed non-stick pan, add whole spices, the shredded mutton, remaining green chillies, half a cup fresh coriander, mint leaves and sauté for a 02 minutes. Add whisked Yogurt and sauté for another 15 minutes. Add three cups of mutton stock and bring it to a boil.

To this, add the blended wheat , barley and dals and mix well. Add a little clarified butter. Add saffron. Add salt to taste.

Simmer for at least an hour.

In a small non-stick pan put the ghee and turn on low heat. Add 1/2 tsp. red chilli powder and turn off heat. Keep separately for garnish.

Serve very hot sprinkled with garam masala powder ,garnished with the prepared spiced ghee, golden brown onion, chopped coriander leaves, ginger juliennes, chopped red chillies and lemon slices / wedges.

Chef Tips:

It is usually made in huge quantities in bhattis (cauldrons) and cooked on slow fire over firewood for 10-12 hours.