Hyderabad Haleem 🥣

Method

1. 1

   Boil the meat with turmeric and salt until it pulls off the bone; pull out, shred fine, keep the stock. Skim the bones.

2. 2

   Pressure-cook soaked wheat and lentils with 4 cups stock until they burst into porridge (or simmer 90 min). They should lose all shape.

3. 3

   Return shredded meat and most spices (garam masala, chilli powder, mace, ginger-garlic sautéed 5 min in ghee) to the pot. Add stock to cover by a finger.

4. 4

   Now the ritual: stir. Wooden spoon, figure-eights, every few minutes; or pulse-blend 4-5 ladles until glue-smooth and return. 45-60 minutes total on low heat until a spoon stands in it.

5. 5

   Fold in half the fried onions, green chillies, mint and coriander; salt should bite, spice should glow, texture should be neither soup nor bread but a third thing.

6. 6

   Serve hot with a deep well of ghee pooled on top, remaining fried onions, cashews, a squeeze of lemon and crusty naan or qubani ka meetha beside it. Hyderabad answer to every weather.