Chicken Haleem
A thick, slow-cooked stew of shredded chicken, broken wheat, barley and daals, finished with fried onions, ginger and lemon. Lighter than beef haleem and ready in about two hours.
Ingredients
Equipment: Two heavy-bottomed pots (one large, about 5 litres), wooden masher or hand blender, slotted spoon
Method
Put the wheat, barley, all three daals and the rice in a large bowl. Cover with plenty of water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight, then drain.
Heat the oil in the large pot over medium heat. Fry the 2 sliced onions, stirring often, until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Lift out half with a slotted spoon onto paper towels for garnish and leave the rest in the pot.
To the oil and onions in the pot, add the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds and stir for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes and the onion softens.
Add the chicken, salt, chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder and slit green chillies. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring, until the chicken turns opaque and the masala clings to it. Lower the heat, stir in the yogurt and cook until the oil starts to separate at the edges.
Pour in 1 litre of water, cover and simmer on low until the chicken is fully tender, reaches 74°C at the thickest part and pulls easily off the bone.
While the chicken simmers, put the drained grains and daals in the second pot with 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then cover and cook on low, stirring now and then, until the wheat is completely soft and breaks when pressed between your fingers. Add a splash of hot water if it catches.
Lift the chicken out of its pot and let it cool for a few minutes. Shred the meat finely and discard the bones and cinnamon stick. Return the shredded meat to the pot with its gravy.
Tip the cooked grains into the chicken pot. Add the haleem masala and mash vigorously with a wooden masher, or pulse briefly with a hand blender, until the mixture is thick, smooth and stretchy with a little texture left.
Cook on the lowest heat, stirring from the bottom so it does not stick, until it falls from the spoon in a slow, thick ribbon. Add hot water if it is too stiff and taste for salt.
Serve hot in bowls topped with the reserved fried onions, ginger matchsticks, sliced green chillies, chopped herbs and a sprinkle of chaat masala. Put lemon wedges on the side to squeeze over.
Cooking tips
- Keep the pot on the lowest heat and scrape the base often once the grains are mashed. Haleem catches and burns easily.
- Skinning the chicken keeps the finished dish from becoming greasy and makes shredding easier.
- Mash while the mixture is hot. If it cools it becomes hard to break down.
- Haleem thickens as it rests, so keep a little hot water ready to loosen it before serving.
Substitutions
- Use 700 g boneless chicken thighs instead of bone-in pieces and reduce the simmering time to about 25 minutes.
- If you cannot find haleem masala, use 1 tbsp garam masala plus 1 tsp ground cumin.
- Use 2 tbsp ghee in place of some of the oil for a richer flavour.
- Replace broken wheat with an equal weight of pearl barley if dalia is unavailable, and cook a little longer.
Serve with
Serve hot with fresh lemon, ginger, green chillies and coriander on top, and warm naan or paratha on the side. A simple cucumber and onion raita helps balance the spices.
Storage
Cool completely within 2 hours and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It also freezes well for up to 2 months, without the garnish.
Reheating
Warm in a pot over low heat with a few tablespoons of water, stirring often, until piping hot throughout. Frozen haleem should be thawed in the fridge overnight first.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
You might also cook
PakistaniChicken Karahi
Chicken cooked hard and fast in a wok-shaped karahi with tomatoes, green chilies and ginger. No onions, no cream, and ready in under an hour.
PakistaniChicken Biryani
Layers of long-grain basmati and a tangy, spiced chicken masala, steamed together until every grain stays separate. Made with potatoes and dried plums, the way many Karachi homes make it.
PakistaniLahori Chargha (Steamed and Fried Spiced Chicken)
Chicken pieces are marinated in a tangy, spiced yogurt paste, steamed until tender, then fried until deep red and crisp. Juicy inside, crackling outside, and made for sharing.
PakistaniChicken Achari
Bone-in chicken simmered in a tangy, onion-yogurt gravy flavoured with the whole spices used in pickling. Bold and sharp, it goes well with plain roti or rice.
Pakistani kitchen
PakistaniMutton Chops Masala (Pressure-Cooked Lamb Chops in Thick Onion-Yogurt Masala)
Mutton chops are marinated, pressure-cooked until soft, then finished in a thick, glossy masala that clings to the bone. A good Sunday dinner with naan or rice.
PakistaniTawa Naan (Soft Yogurt Naan Cooked on a Griddle)
Soft, bubbly naan made with yogurt and milk, cooked on a hot tawa or in the oven. A dependable flatbread for karahi, daal and kababs, no tandoor needed.
PakistaniChicken Corn Soup
A thick, gently peppery soup of shredded chicken, sweet corn and silky egg ribbons, in the style of Pakistani Chinese restaurants. Easy to make at home on a cold evening.
PakistaniKulcha (Oven-Baked Yogurt Bread with Nigella and Sesame)
Soft, fluffy round breads made with yogurt and milk, topped with nigella and sesame and brushed with butter. They bake in a hot home oven and go well with chanay, daal or any curry.