Ramzan recipe: How to make Haleem

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg mutton, cubed and washed
• 1 1/2 cups daliya or coarsely ground or cracked wheat, (available in grocery stores)
• 1-inch piece ginger
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 to 3 green chillies (or as per taste)
• 1 tsp turmeric or haldi powder
• 1 tsp cumin or jeera seeds
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 medium-sized onion, cut into fine slices for baghar
• 1 tbsp chickpea flour or besan
• 1/4 cup oil
• Salt
• 1 small bunch of mint leaves

Method

• Grind the garlic, ginger and chillies into paste. In a pressure cooker or heavy-bottomed pot, with a lid, add washed mutton, the ground masala, haldi, jeera, garam masala, 2 cups water and half of the oil.
• Pressure-cook or cook till meat is tender.
• Add 2 cups water, stir in the wheat daliya (cracked wheat) and cook till wheat is done, stirring all the time to prevent wheat from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• In 1/4 cup of water, dissolve the besan completely; there should be no lumps. Pour the besan mixture into the meat and wheat. Bring to a boil.
• Take the remaining oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion to a crisp brown, but take care not to burn it. Add 1/2 tsp jeera seeds. When they crackle, pour into the meat and wheat mixture. Keep covered for a while. Open and thoroughly mix, till all the oil is absorbed.
• Serve hot in a bowl, garnished with chopped mint leaves.