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Hyderabadi Haleem

I think between Ami’s authentic Hyderabadi Haleem recipe and those learned, created and experimented with by us five sisters, we probably have around six to seven different Haleem versions, if not more. Some with cracked wheat only or lentils, or a combination of the two, some with baby goat meat only and others incorporating chicken, beef and/or veal. Ami even has a Haleem recipe using Quaker Oats which tastes marvelous enough to satisfy any Haleem craving in a jiffy (super simple to make as compared to the authentic cracked wheat only version and still so good). This specific recipe, however, is one of laborious love. Authentic. A full day (plus overnight) project. A show stopper. A Dawat Delight. I could go on and on praising this recipe that I made in a very large Degchi (pot used to make Biryani and Haleem), enough to feed an army. A Haleem recipe that tastes better each time you heat it up with a splash of water, either on the stove or in a microwave. This time around, because I purposely made so much of it, I ate the leftovers for at least one week after Eid, and I nearly cried when it was all done. And I kid you not, that final remaining reheated portion tasted EVEN better than the freshly simmered Haleem on the day of Eid.

My sister Jabeen learned and mastered this Haleem-making craft under the direct supervision of a Hyderabadi food maestro in her community. If you are in search of a signature Hyderabadi Haleem recipe, then look no further!

Some variation of Haleem Masala is necessary in this recipe and you can easily make your own (seeds of coriander, cumin, black cumin, caraway, fennel, black + green cardamom, dried chilies, cinnamon, clove and black peppercorns). Jabeen, who according to me makes the BEST Haleem in our family, and to whom I am grateful for sharing her step-by-step recipe, figured out that Shan Haleem Masala is in fact excellent with a correct ratio of spices and not overpowering. Since I was using a total of six pounds of meat, and per Jabeen’s instructions, I used a few heaping spoonfuls of this aromatic Haleem Masala spice mix when marinating the meat (along with freshly ground spices, fried onions and other yummy things as detailed in recipe below), and some of the remaining masala in the ‘Khorma’ or gravy portion, along with other spices and fresh ingredients. And because I like my Haleem to have some meaty texture as compared to a sticky paste that others may prefer, I carefully controlled the amount I pounded the shredded meat when mixed with the ‘Daliya,’ (cracked wheat simmered for a couple of hours and pounded/pulverized during the cooking process). This recipe is outstanding and the final taste of the Haleem is one of the best I ever had. I enjoyed this delicacy daily for more than a week after Eid and savored every single nourishing bite. Serve with some fried onions sprinkled on top, mint, coriander, roasted cashews for a nutty crunch factor and freshly squeezed lemon juice to cut through the spices. Delicious is in fact an understatement here!

Print Recipe

Authentic Hyderabadi Haleem

A more traditional Hyderabadi version of the famous Haleem, this family recipe is a coalescence of Ami's foundational tips, my sister Jabeen's insight and some of my creativity. The combination of our culinary passion results in a perfectly balanced and in my honest opinion, THE ultimate version of an intricately layered porridge, somewhere between a meaty stew and savory soup, considerably glamorized, detailed and finished in the best way possible. Cracked wheat simmered and pounded to an unmatched consistency, cautiously spiced + marinated tender veal + beef coated and cooked in fried onions, fresh ginger + garlic paste (and lots of it), garam masala, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, creamy whisked yogurt, a generous amount of mint + coriander leaves and Jabeen's secret ingredient (a few heaping spoonfuls of Haleem Masala spice mix) makes for one of the tastiest Haleem recipes ever!
Prep Time45 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Hyderabadi
Keyword: Haleem, Hyderabadi Haleem
Servings: 20
Author: Afreen Sayeed

Ingredients

For Meat Marination

  • 5 lbs veal stew meat
  • 1 lb beef stew meat
  • ½ cup fried onions *crushed
  • 2 tbsp fresh garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
  • 2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • ¾ tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tbsp Haleem Masala spice mix *I used Shan brand
  • 4 tbsp Canola oil
  • 2 medium yellow onions *thinly sliced

For "Khorma" – Gravy *

  • 1 stick butter *unsalted
  • 4 tbsp Canola oil
  • 1 cup fried onions
  • 6 black peppercorns
  • 3 pods cardammom
  • 3 cloves
  • 1½ tbsp fresh garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger paste
  • 2 cups plain yogurt *whisked
  • 3 tbsp Haleem Masala spice mix *I used Shan brand
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Lal Mirch
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1½ cups fresh coriander leaves *chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves *chopped
  • 3 green chilies *whole, stems removed

Other Ingredients

  • 2 lb cracked wheat *Ziyad brand, Medium Burghul #2
  • water *as needed
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt

For Tadka

  • 2 tbsp Canola oil
  • 1 tsp red chili powder

For Garnish

  • fresh corinader leaves
  • fresh mint leaves
  • lemons *quartered
  • cashews *roasted, unsalted

Instructions

For Meat Marination

  • Rinse, pat dry and place meat (veal + beef) in a large container. Add ginger + garlic paste, spices (Haleem Masala spice mix, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala powder), Kosher salt and crushed fried onions. With clean hands, mix and massage all spices into meat for at least 2-3 minutes, coating each piece of meat with spices. Cover container and place in fridge to marinate overnight.

For Cooking Wheat (Daliya)

  • In a large bowl, completely soak burghul in water overnight. Once water is absorbed, add more water to bowl.
  • Place soaked burghul in a very large pot and add enough water to cover burghul by one inch or so (when you stick your index finger in pot, your finger should be immersed in water and only tip of finger should touch the bulghur). Turn heat to medium high, bring to a boil and then simmer bulghur/water for 2.5 hours on low heat, stirring often and adding water as needed to maintain a flowable, smooth bulghur mixture. *Note: stirring bulghur often throughout the cooking process is key*
  • Once burghul has simmered for at least 2.5 hours, use immersion blender to pulse burghul into a smooth, flowable consistency (add more water, if needed while pulsing).

For Cooking Marinated Meat

  • Remove marinated meat from fridge and let rest at room temperature for at least 20-30 minutes.
  • Set InstaPot setting to "Sauté' medium heat mode. Add 4 tbsp Canola oil and once heated, add sliced yellow onions and sauté onions for 7-8 minutes until light golden brown. Now add marinated meat, continuously mix and sauté for 10-12 minutes until meat changes color to light brown.
  • Now change InstaPot setting to 'Pressure Cook" low heat, cover InstaPot with lid and pressure cook for 45 minutes. Let InstaPot rest for 15 minutes, then carefully release steam and uncover InstaPot. Remove inner cooking pot and with a thick wooden spoon, carefully break tender meat pieces into shreds by smashing with wooden spoon and mix well to incorporate shredded meat + gravy. Set aside.

For Cooking "Khorma" – Gravy *

  • In a very large pot, heat 1 stick unsalted butter + Canola oil on medium high heat. Once melted, turn heat to medium, add whole garam masala (black peppercorns, cloves and cardamom pods) and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Now add garlic + ginger paste, mix well and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes until aromatic (add splash of water, as needed). Add fried onions and spices (Haleem Masala spice mix, Kashmiri Lal Mirch, turmeric, garam masala powder and *optional finely ground roasted Charoli seeds + tailed peppers), Kosher salt and 2-3 tsp water. Mix well and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add whisked yogurt, mix well, turn heat to medium low and cook gravy for 15-20 minutes, add fresh coriander + mint leaves and whole green chilies, mixing often until oil separates,

For Final Layering

  • Add shredded meat (with meat gravy) to prepared Khorma gravy and mix well using large wooden spoon, continuing to break apart any remaining large pieces of meat and thoroughly incorporate meat + Khorma. Continue to simmer on low heat and gradually add pulsed, cooked bulghar to meat preparation in three parts, folding daliya into meat, a little bit at a time, until all Daliya is incorporated into meat preparation. Continue to simmer Haleem on low heat for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, mixing often to create a uniform, smooth and flowable consistency.

For Tadka

  • In a small skillet, heat oil on medium heat. Once oil is hot, add red chili powder, turn off heat and swirl skillet for 1 minute. Pour tadka on simmering Haleem, mix well and continue to simmer Haleem for 5-10 more minutes. Add lots of chopped fresh coriander + mint leaves.
  • Now prepare yourself to taste one of the best things you ever ate. Mouthwatering and luscious Authentic Hyderabadi Haleem is now ready to serve. With some freshly squeezed lemon juice and a few roasted cashews on top, you will quickly agree that this Haleem is undoubtedly the greatest. Enjoy! Nosh Farma'aiye.

Notes

*Optional for ‘Khorma’
1 tsp Chironji seeds (Charoli seeds) roasted
3 Kabab Chini (tailed peppers)
Dry Roast Charoli seeds until light golden and aromatic.  Add to a spice grinder.  Add 3 tailed peppers and grind to a fine powder.  Add this powder when adding the remaining spices to the ‘Khorma.”  
-Also note, if Haleem is too spicy (resulting from the type and quantity of Haleem Masala spice mix you use), you can add one cup of whole milk when reheating to help mellow spices.