KOCHI: It's Ramadan season again. Muslims around the world have begun their fasting for 30 days, in remembrance of the Quran being revealed to Prophet Mohammed the first time. The dawn-to-dusk fasting begins after the 'suhoor' (pre-dawn meal) and is broken with 'Ifthar' in the evening. Haleem, which is known as the 'complete meal', plays an important role in Ifthar.
Prepared with mutton, varieties of dal and spices, haleem is a stew-like meal rich with proteins and carbohydrates. "Because of the day-long fasting, the dish helps boost the energy of the faithful. Also, the lentils in the dish replenish one's protein levels," says Ravinder Singh Panwar, executive chef, Kochi Marriott Hotel.
The dish, which has the semblance of oatmeal, takes long hours and is traditionally prepared in mud containers under firewood. "It usually takes seven to eight hours to prepare. As haleem needs to achieve a batter-like consistency, the entire chunk of meat and lentils have to be broken down. Because of the presence of the dal and broken wheat which has a lesser cooking time, the dish cannot be prepared on a high flame," says the chef. Furthermore, the quantity of the dish plays a deciding factor in the cooking time.
While many choose to have haleem as it is, some choose to savour it with accompaniments such as dates and salad.
RECIPE
Lamb Haleem
The complete meal
Ingredients
Lamb boneless: 500 g
Moong dal: 50 g
Masoor dal: 50 g
Channa dal: 50 g
Urad dal: 50 g
Tuvar dal: 50 g
Broken wheat: 200 g
Onion: 50 g
Bay leaf: 1 g
Cinnamon: 2 g
Green cardamom: 2 g
Allspice: 5 g
Ginger: 5 g
Ginger garlic paste: 50 g
Ghee: 300 g
Lemon: 2 nos
Green chilly: 2 nos
Salt: 10 g
Milk: 1 litre
Mint: 10 g
Preparation
Heat ghee. Temper with bay leaf, green cardamom, clove. Add sliced onion, make them light brown in colour. Add ginger garlic, saute (braised) well. To this, add lamb boneless, allspice, urad dal, channa dal, masoor dal, moong dal and tuvar dal. Saute (braise) well. Add half a litre of water and one litre of milk. After one boil, cook in very slow heat. It is important to stir continuously until the meat is broken into fibre form and attains a porridge consistency. Check to season. Garnish with fried onion, chopped mint and lemon juice. Make portioning of 100 gm each and the Haleem is ready to serve.
(As per executive chef Ravinder Singh Panwar's preparation at the Kochi Kitchen, Kochi Marriott Hotel)