Lamb haleem

Not yet rated

A rich, thick and relatively dry lamb dish from the Indian state of Telengana, the sauce for haleem is made by simmering wheat and lentils until tender, then blitzing into a paste.

Will says: ‘Made with four different grains, this is essentially a lamb porridge, but don’t let that put you off! It’s perfect winter comfort food and hails from Hyderabad, where the dish made its name. Serve with a steaming bowl of rice and lightly buttered chapatis.’

This recipe is taken from Kricket: An Indian-Inspired Cookbook by Will Bowlby (£28, Hardie Grant). Photography by Hugh Johnson.

First published in 2021

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Equipment

  • Stick blender

Method

1
Place a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Fry the lamb shoulder and leg with the whole spices for a few minutes until lightly browned
2
Add 4 tablespoons of the ginger-garlic paste, season with the salt, then cover and turn the heat down to low-medium. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender
3
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, add the wheat and 2 types of lentils then cover with water. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for around 40 minutes, until completely cooked and all the water has been absorbed. Once cooked, use a stick blender to blitz the mixture until smooth
4
Heat the ghee in a large, deep saucepan. Add the remaining ginger-garlic paste along with the ground coriander, chilli powder, turmeric and chillies. Mix in the cooked lamb and stir for a few minutes, then add the blitzed wheat mixture and stir thoroughly
5
Reserve a little of the fresh coriander and mint to garnish, then stir the rest through the lamb with the garam masala. Taste for seasoning, then garnish with the crispy onions, remaining herbs, fresh ginger and puffed wheat (if using)
First published in 2021

After falling in love with Indian food whilst working in Mumbai, Will Bowlby returned to the UK to open Kricket, a modern Indian restaurant with plenty of British twists.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.

You may also like

Load more