Haleem!!

Work from home (WFH) made me take a shot at Haleem yesterday over a sumptuous lunch. My aunt who goes for a kill every time a new recipe challenges her ego of being the best cook made me try it. In true sense she learns/replicates dishes which she likes/tries outside to perfection.

Just for the starters the city of Hyderabad is known for its delectable haleem, which is available only during Ramzan. The porridge which has many pulses, wheat grain, lots of ghee and of-course meat is considered very nutritious; another reason it is considered the mainstay during the Holy month of Ramzan. The entire prep takes more than 8 hours and traditionally is cooked in the ‘bhatti’. It comes in both the sweet and salted version and is still served for breakfast in the homes of the Arabs living in Hyderabad. A vegetarian derivative of haleem has dry fruits and vegetable.

For those who would like to cook this at home; recipe is mentioned below:
Ingredients:

250 gm mutton/lamb; 1 cup wheat-soaked overnight, drained, pounded & husked;

1 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp turmeric; 1 tbsp channa dal- soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tbsp moong dal-soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tbsp masoor dal-soaked for 1/2 hour; 1 tsp coriander powder; 2 onions-sliced and fried crisp; 4 tbsp ghee; 2 tsp ginger-garlic pastesalt to taste

Method: Take a heavy-bottomed vessel and heat 8 cups of water in it. When the water starts boiling put in the drained dal, wheat and mutton along with the ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook over slow fire till the mutton is tender then mash the mutton. To this mixture add the crushed fried onion. Heat the ghee and pour it over the Haleem. Sprinkle lemon-juice before serving - serve hot.

I would request my aunty to make the dish again and very soon, though I would like to try the sweet variant this time. My burpometer will give the Haleem 3.5/5.