Make this Hyderabadi Haleem recipe the centre of your Bakrid 2025 spread
Make your Bakrid celebrations a memorable one with this delectable Hyderabadi Haleem recipe, courtesy of Chef Kunal Kapur
Bakrid this year, is set to be celebrated from the evening of today, June 6, up to Saturday, June 7. And here we have for you, a mouth-watering recipe, bound to become a dinner spread staple once you drown in its complex, layered flavours. Say hello to some Hyderabadi Haleem!
Hyderabadi Haleem
Ingredients: For grains and dals — daliya - 1/2 cup, barley - 2tbsps, chana dal - 1tbsp, skinless urad dal - 1tbsp, skinless moong dal - 1tbsp, masoor dal - 1tbsp, almonds - 5 to 6, cashew nuts - 5 to 6, water -1 litre; for mutton marination — boneless mutton - 1/2kg, mutton bones - 250gms, salt to taste, turmeric powder - 1tsp, chilli powder - 1.25tsp, garam masala - 1tsp, black pepper powder - 1tsp, ginger-garlic paste - 2tbsps, curd - 3/4 cup; for cooking — ghee - 5tbsps, cinnamon sticks - 2, cardamom - 8 to 10, cloves - 7 to 8, peppercorns - 10 to 12, all spice - 8 to 10, caraway seeds - 2tsps, sliced onions - 1/2 cup, slit green chillies - 2 to 3, coriander leaves - handful, mint leaves - handful, salt to taste, water - 1 litre; for garnish — fried onions, fried cashews, mint and coriander leaves.
Method: Combine all the grains and dals, then wash them thoroughly twice. Add 1 liter of water and let them soak for at least one hour. After soaking, boil the mixture until everything is fully softened and mashed. You can cover the pot and cook it on low heat, adding more water as needed. Once it reaches a soft, thick consistency, remove from heat and let it cool completely. Transfer the mixture to a mixer grinder and blend it into a smooth paste and set aside.
Place the meat and bones in a bowl, adding in all the spices, salt, ginger-garlic paste, and curd. Mix thoroughly, ensuring the meat is well-coated and let this sit for at least 30 minutes.
Next, heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, all spice, and jeera. Once fragrant, add in the onions and sauté until they start getting some colour. Now toss in the marinated meat and cook on high heat for 15–20 minutes — this step is particularly essential to build the complex flavour profile of the haleem.
Following the bhunai, add chopped mint and coriander leaves while cooking the meat. Pour in water, seal the cooker, and bring to a boil until the first whistle. Then reduce the heat and cook for another hour, or until the meat is tender enough to fall apart with a fork.
Following this, take the haleem off the heat and let the pressure release naturally for about 10 minutes. Carefully open the lid and skim off some of the ghee floating on top — retain the ghee as it is packed with rich flavours. Remove the main meat pieces to a large pan, while discarding the bones. Strain the curry on to the meat pieces and proceed to roughly shred the meat, either manually, or while using a mathani. Keep the heat off this entire time.
Now mix in the ground grain-lentil paste with the shredded meat and turn the heat back on. Continue mashing and stirring the mixture for about 10 minutes. This should be mashed on heat, till the mixture starts leaving ghee on the sides. Taste and adjust the saly, adding in some of the reserved ghee to enhance the flavour.
The consistency you are going for is mashy, but smooth enough to slip off the spoon. Garnish each serve with fried onions, cashews, fresh mint, and coriander. Finish with a drizzle of the leftover ghee.
(recipe from Chef Kunal Kapur)
Eid Mubarak!
