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Hyderabadi Haleem
4.9 from 144 votes

Hyderabadi Haleem

Hyderabadi Haleem is a traditional slow-cooked dish combining mutton, multiple grains, and lentils into a rich, thick porridge. With a blend of whole spices, herbs, and nuts, the recipe emphasizes tender meat and a hearty, smooth texture. The dish balances savory spiced meat with a dense grain base, finished with fried onions, fresh herbs, and nuts for garnish, making it a wholesome meal.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 14 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2.2 lb broken wheat coarse
  • 2.2 lb dalia
  • 2.2 lb semolina
  • 1 cup barley broken coarsely
  • 4.41 lb mutton boneless
  • 1 cup urad dal white
  • 1/3 cup channa dal
  • 1/3 cup toor dal
  • salt to taste
For Mutton Masala:
  • 2.2 lb mutton
  • 1 cup mutton fat high smoking point, or groundnut oil or sesame seed oil
  • 3-4 green chili
  • 4 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 4 tbsp Coriander chopped
  • 4 tbsp basmati rice soaked
  • salt to taste
  • whole spice mix
  • 2 pcs cinnamon 1 inch long (2.5 cm)
  • 8-10 pcs cardamom
  • 1/2 tbsp cloves
  • 1 tbsp shahi jeera
  • 1/2 tbsp black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
  • 3 tbsp rose petals edible
  • 1/2 tsp black peppercorn tailed
For the Garnish:
  • 1 cup onion fried & browned
  • 1/2 cup mint leaf chopped
  • 1/2 cup coriander leaf chopped
  • 1/2 cup lemon wedges
  • 1/4 cup almond slivers
  • 1/4 cup cashew slivers
  • 1/4 cup ghee melted

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed cooking vessel, preferably a pressure cooked or Dutch oven for best results.
  2. Sauté the onions in the oil/mutton fat until golden brown, set aside and reserve the oil for later use.
  3. Toss in the meat, chilies, ginger garlic paste, and ground toasted spices, and cook until the meat is tender and the oil separates, rising to the top. Add water as required, ensuring that the spice and meat mix isn’t too diluted.
  4. Meanwhile, cook the lentils in a pressure cooker until they are tender and can be mashed with the back of a spoon. Reserve any excess dal water and combine to make a thick slurry.
  5. Grind the wheat and barley into a powder. Soak the powder in water for at least 40 mins to an hour, till the grain mix has completely hydrated and looks like a thick paste.
  6. Once the meat is tender, remove the bones and add the cilantro, mint, and rice to the broth. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and can be mashed easily.
  7. Add the barley and wheat powder, mixing as it comes to a boil, and cook for an additional 30 mins. Add water to adjust the consistency to your liking.
  8. Add the rose petals, ground almonds, and cooked dal a little at a time and start “ghoting”. Ghoting is a process of pounding the mix of meat, lentils, grain, and spices using a thick wooden mallet to combine and mash everything into a homogeneous and uniform consistency.
  9. This is done until the Haleem is sticky and can be scooped out of the vessel without sticking to the side of the Handi or pot.
  10. Add salt to taste, followed by oil, ghee and cream and continue to pound until the Haleem is stringy.
  11. Garnish with fresh mint, cilantro, cashews, fried onions and ghee. Accompany it with a wedge of fresh tangy lime.

Notes