Haleem with garlic butter bread

Haleem is a popular Middle Eastern stew or soup with recipes varying from region to region and is also known as Hareesa or Kichara. This dish primarily consists of vegetables, lentils, wheat and barley as well as a beef, mutton or chicken. It is said that once you taste this gently infused dish, you’ll never forget it. Fehmida Jordaan was kind enough to share her family recipe with us.

“This recipe comes from my mum, Fatima and as with many Indian mum’s we receive no measurements so I’ve tried my best to add a measure but this dish really is about tasting and feeling it.”

Ingredients:

½ bag of 4-in-1 soup mix
¼ cup rice
2 litres of water
2 tsp rough salt
½ tsp haldi/ turmeric/ arad
2–3 curry leaves
Half an onion or chopped spring onions
½ tsp jeera seeds
1–2 tsp dhana jeera (a cumin/coriander blend)
Pinch of salt
1/3 tsp haldi/turmeric/arad
10 chopped mint leaves
2–3 cubed chicken fillets (or cubed mutton, add a dash of vinegar if using mutton)
1–2 Tbsp of tomato puree (either grated tomato or store bought puree)
Chopped green chilli to taste
½ bunch of chopped dhania
Handful of oats

For the garlic butter bread strips:
Garlic parsley butter
2–3 Tbsp additional butter
French bread or sandwich bread

Method:

1. Boil the soup mix with your rice in 2 litres of water.
2. Add 2 tsp rough salt, turmeric and curry leaves
3. Cook until pulses are soft. Add more water if it gets too thick. When ready, use a immersion or stick blender and liquidise all ingredients.
4. Ready to freeze.
5. In a separate pan, sauté half an onion or chopped spring onions, the jeera seeds, dhana jeera. Add salt to taste.
6. Next add in another third teaspoon of haldi/turmeric/arad, chopped mint leaves and your cubed chicken or mutton.
7. Now add in the grated tomato and chopped chilli. Cook until done.
8. Add half a bunch of chopped dhania to your Haleem mix above.
9. Add more water if it’s too thick plus a small handful of oats.
10. To make the garlic buttered bread strips, cut 1cm round of garlic parsley butter and add it to a bowl with your additional butter. Soften and mix. Butter about 4 bread slices and slice into strips.
11. Grill in the oven until browned on the buttered side. Do not turn over.

Stack and serve with a few wedges of lemon and a bowl of steaming hot haleem.

 Special thanks to Fehmida Jordaan for sharing her family recipe
@fehmz