Haute cuisine it ain’t. But this multicultural melting pot of a meal is popular, tasty – and cheap.
Variously described as a porridge, soup or curry, haleem’s liquidity means it could be used as baby food, albeit for spice-loving infants. A rich stew of lentils, whole wheat and meat beef, mutton, lamb, chicken or a mixture the dish originated in Persia in the sixth century. When the Muslims conquered the area a century later, it spread throughout the Middle East and, ultimately, to the subcontinent.
Today, it’s most likely to be found on Pakistani menus, where it’s served hot, fast and with naan bread for mopping.
Haleem Recipe
Ingriedients:
- 1 ½ kilograms of Mutton or Beef
- ½ kilograms of Wheat Grains (crushed and soaked in water for 1 ½ hour)
- 1 cup of Gram Lentils (soaked and boiled)
- 3 medium Onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 tbsp. Garlic Paste (Pisa Lehsan)
- 1 tbsp. Ginger Paste (Pisi Adrak)
- 1 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
- 2 tbsp. Red Chilli Powder (Pisi Lal Mirch)
- 1 ½ tbsp. Coriander Powder (Pisa Dhania)
- 1 tsp. Turmeric Powder (Pisi Haldi)
- Salt (to taste)
- A pinch of Soda
- 1 ½ cup Ghee or any Clarified Butter
Ingredients for Garnish:
- 1 bunch of Fresh Mint Leaves (Podina) (finely chopped)
- 1 bunch of Fresh Coriander Leaves (Hara Dhania) (finely chopped)
- Green Chilli (Hari Mirch) (finely chopped – to taste)
- 1 tsp. Cumin Seeds (Sufaid Zeera) (roasted and ground)
- 1 tsp. Garam Masala Powder
- 2 medium size pieces of Ginger Root (Adrak)
- 1 large Onion (thinly sliced)
- 4 Lemons (Nimbu) (cut in quarters)
- 2 cups Dalda Banaspati or any Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Method:
Recipe by angelfire.com
Text Source: smh.com.au