HS 468 Food and Cultural Studies

Shaik Riyazuddin (SC16B047)

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram

This report is written on one of the most famous food items Haleem. Haleem is a dish popular is
Central Asia. It is a kind of meat stew and is prepared particularly in Hyderabad during the month of
Ramadan. In this report I have put the information regarding the origin, cultural history, preparation
and nutrition. Some other facts regarding Haleem are also given.

I. Introduction
Haleem is a classic meat preparation which is particularly relished during the festival of Ramadan. Ra-
madan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the
Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic belief. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar,
which involves rigorous fasting for about 30 days including. During this month, Muslims do not take food
or water from dawn to dusk. They eat Suhur (a pre-dawn meal) and break their day-long fast with ’Iftar’ in
the evening. Haleem is synonymous with Itftar during Ramadan because it works as an an energy booster
and it also keeps you satiated for long. Cooked with a variety of ingredients such as wheat, barley, lentils
and meat, Haleem is not only delicious, but it is also a powerhouse of nutrition. Ramadan is a special
time in Hyderabad, especially if you are fond of Hyderabadi food. Haleem’s seasonality also makes it a
much-sought-after delicacy. Though there are a couple of places that serve Haleem all year round, during
the holy month of Ramadan, every Hyderabadi restaurant worth its salt makes and serves Haleem.

Figure 1. A picture of Haleem ready to eat

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 II. Origin of Haleem
Haleem is a type of stew popular in the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The
dish varies from region to region. It is called as Hareesa in Arab and Armenia.

The origin of Haleem lies in the popular Arabian dish known as Hareesa. Haleem traces its origins back
to a dish mentioned in Saif al-Dawlah Al-Hamdani’s Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Recipes), written in 10th
century Syria, where he describes Hareesa, a speciality made of wheat beaten into a paste and cooked with
meat and spices.

Food historian Annia Ciezadlo goes further back in time, mentionig a meeting between 7th century
Caliph Muawiyya and a Jewish delegation from Yemen where they digressed into discussion on this exotic
dish. Infact it is said that Prophet Mohammed himself had enjoyed Hareesa.

A. How did Haleem come to India?

Haleem had evidently arrived in India by the 16th century during the Moghal rule because it is mentioned
in Ain-i-Akbari, says the Times of India report. But the first reference to the dish in Hyderabad was in 1930
when a chef from Yemen is said to have first prepared the dish, also called ”Harees” or ”Harissa” in Arab
countries, for the then Nizam of Hyderabad. Subsequently, some Irani hotels started selling it here. Dals
and traditional Telangana spices were thus married into the recipe to bring it close to the delicacy that it is
today.

III. Cultural History

Haleem is a special dish prepared throughout the world during the Ramadan and Muharram months of
the Muslim Hijri calendar, particularly among Pakistanis and Indian Muslims. In India, Haleem prepared
in Hyderabad during the Ramadan month, is transported all over the world through a special courier
service. In Pakistan, Haleem is available all year round, as well as in most Pakistani restaurants around the
world. Haleem is sold as a snack food and street food in Pakistani bazaars throughout the year. Haleem is
also very popular in Bangladesh, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when it is a staple dish.

IV. Preparation of Haleem

Haleem is traditionally prepared in ’Bhattis’ or brick and mud ovens, during the holy month of Ra-
madan. It is a slow-cooked delicacy, often cooked for 7-8 hours and is done on firewood. Chefs engage in
the laborious process of making the sumptuous dish in large vessels cemented on the traditional ovens.

A traditional Haleem is made by firstly soaking wheat, barley and gram lentil overnight. A spicy meat
gravy called Korma is prepared until the meat becomes tender. The wheat, barley and gram are boiled
in salt water until they are tender. The cooked wheat, barley and lentils are then mixed with the meat
(Beef or Mutton or Chicken) gravy and blended with a heavy hand mixer to obtain a paste-like consistency.
However, Haleem preparation varies in different regions.

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Figure 2. Set up used to prepare Haleem

Figure 3. Making of Haleem

Figure 4. Serving of Haleem

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 We can also make Haleem in small quatities in homes. A procedure is given below to cook Haleem in
our homes.

A. Ingredients and Making Procedure

1. 1 kg meat ( Beef/ mutton)
2. 1/2 cup whole wheat ( 1/4 th cup is whole and 1/4 th cup is broken)
3. 1/4 th cup urad/ mashkolai dal ( without skin)
4. 1/4 th cup moog dal / yellow lentil

5. 1/4 th cup moosur dal/ red lentil

6. 1/4 th cup split Bengal gram/ yellow split pea/ chola/ chana dal

Many other items like cup of onion paste, half table spoon ginger paste, tea spoon garlic paste, tea spoon
turmeric, tea spoon red chili powder, tea spoon coriander powder are also used. The procedure is-

• Soak all the dals and 1/4th cup whole wheat in water for at least 5/6 hours . Save the remaining 1/4th
of broken wheat to use later on .
• Cook the meat with all the ingredients for meat regular way . Take out all the whole spices .
• Drain out the water from the grains and boil with enough water . When the grains are almost boiled
but there is enough water in the dal ,add the broken wheat , turmeric powder , salt green cardamom
. Cook further stirring occasionally , until everything becomes mushy , sticky and blended . Add the
Meat into the grain . Cook . Add the Haleem masala . Add 2 table spoon of ghee into it .
• Heat enough oil and fry the sliced onion until golden brown( bereshta) . Add the onion and some oil
into the Haleem .
• Garnish with sliced ginger , mint, slice of lemon .

B. Serving
Haleem can be served with chopped mint leaves, lemon juice, coriander leaves, fried onions, chopped
ginger root or green chilies. In some regions of Pakistan, Haleem is eaten with Naan or with any type of
bread or rice. As of my personel experiance a perfect Haleem alone satisfies both taste and hunger of a
fasting person in Ramadan.

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 Figure 5. Serving of Haleem

Figure 6. Serving of Haleem

Figure 7. Serving of Haleem

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 V. Nutritional Value
A high-calorie dish, Haleem provides protein from the meat, fibre and carbohydrates from the various
combinations of grains and pulses. Thanks to the presence of protein loaded lentils, Haleem helps in
building muscle and tissue. Being rich in carbohydrates, Haleem aids in replenishing depleted energy
levels and it also contains dry fruits that are rich in antioxidants that work as anti-ageing agents making
one look young and beautiful.

VI. Variations of Haleem

Haleem was originally made with mutton or beef, but now the dish is available in other variants. One
variety of Haleem is prepared with wheat, barley and spices along with the meat. In the second variety,
three to four other types of lentils are used. For the calorie-conscious there is a variety of chicken Haleem
as well. These days there are hotels serving vegetarian Haleem and Fish Haleem, but the connoisseurs still
swear by the mutton version. That’s not all. There’s a lesser-known sweet Haleem as well. It’s mainly con-
sumed in the Barkas area of the old Hyderabad city, where many Arab settlers live.

A. Hyderabadi Haleem:
Haleem has become a popular dish in the cities of Hyderabad, Telangana and Aurangabad, Maharashtra
(Aurangabad, the first capital of Hyderabad State) in India. There are many restaurants in Hyderabad
which serve us with the most delicious Haleem.

Figure 8. Hyderabadi Haleem

B. Bengali Haleem:
Haleem is very popular in Bangladesh especially during the holy month of Ramadan. It is made of wheat,
rice, meat and lentil with spices. It is a slow cooker lentil based dish serve with coriander leaves, lemon
wedges, chopped ginger , green chili and fried onion. Sometimes it is serve with naan or any kind of bread
in Bangladesh.

C. Khichra:
In the Indian subcontinent, both Haleem and Khichra are made with same ingredients. In Khichra, the
chunks of meat remain as cubes, while in Haleem the meat cubes are taken out of the pot, bones are
removed, meat is crushed and put back in the pot. It is further cooked until the meat completely blends
with the lentils, wheat and barley mixture.

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 Figure 9. Bengali Haleem

Figure 10. Khichra

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 VII. Perfection of Haleem
A purist will tell you that there are two things that you should look for: texture and flavour. The combi-
nation of these two makes Haleem a perfect ’soul food’.
First, the texture: the pounded wheat, dals and meat are slow-cooked, along with spices. And a key part of
the process is the continuous stirring of the dish by hand right through, which is the hard part. The end
result should be a smooth, porridgey consistency where you can’t really tell where the wheat ends and the
meat begins. But it’s a fine balance: if it’s overdone, it becomes a gluey mess. They other point is that a
good Haleem should have a certain ’stretchable’ quality, not unlike mozzarella.
As for the flavor, it’s entirely a matter of personal taste. The traditional Arab Harisa tends to be rather
bland; the traditional Iranian Haleem is flavoursome, yet subtle.

VIII. References
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haleem
2. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/this-ramzan-dig-in-to-the-magical-
world-of-haleem/get-ready-to-drool/slideshow/64585065.cms
3. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/the-story-of-haleem/photostory/69269448.cms?picid=692

4. https://khadizaskitchen.com/2014/06/11/haleem-bangladeshi-style/

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