Lentils are used to make Haleem.
Haleem is a very heavy and thick soup made with wheat, lentils, yellow peas, and beef that is cooked for a long time over low heat. The dish is very popular in India and Pakistan and is served in several other Middle Eastern countries. Boiled soup is distinguished not only by its tangy flavor and plump body, but also because all the ingredients are cooked for so long that they melt into a single thick sauce or are ground or pureed until smooth. Complete Haleem can be served with rice, garnished with fresh herbs and lemon. It is often sold by street vendors as a snack, but it is also prepared for holidays and celebrations.
Fresh herbs can be used as a garnish for chicken haleem.
During religious periods such as Ramadan, Muslims often prepare haleem and serve it in the evening, when the day’s fast ends. It is made in India to celebrate weddings and other festivities. The recipes are flexible, so it’s quite easy to use ingredients that follow different religious and cultural dietary laws. The Indian region of Hyderabad produces a popular version of haleem with a more elaborate preparation. Haleem Hyderabadi is, in fact, so popular during certain times of the year that the food is prepared and shipped to avid connoisseurs around the world.
While many aspects of haleem can be changed based on tradition, region, or family recipes, the basic ingredients remain the same. Meat is almost always used, although there are some vegetarian varieties. The type of meat is usually beef, lamb or chicken. It will cook for a long time and eventually grate or puree, so the individual cut doesn’t really matter.
The grains in the dish always include cracked wheat. This cooks itself at first until it becomes a thick, smooth batter. The same is done with lentils and yellow peas. All three are added to the same pan, along with spices like coriander, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and fried onions.
The meat can be browned ahead of time, but it is not necessary. It is added to the beans, usually with water or broth, and then the entire pot of haleem is boiled for hours until it all comes together and the consistency of the meal is thick. Here, many recipes call for the meat to be grated or ground with the rest of the ingredients. In Hyderabad, the ingredients are processed by a food processor or food mill to create a homogeneous soup.
Haleem can be served in a bowl with rice and is usually garnished. The garnish can include lemon, fresh cilantro, green bell pepper and a dash of garam masala spice mix. The dish is incredibly hearty and contains a lot of protein.