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    Home » Main Dish

    Pakistani Thick Beef Haleem (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

    Jan 20, 2023 by Sarah Mirza · 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pakistani Thick Beef Haleem (Instant Pot & Stovetop) is explained simply in this blogpost, exploring all that can be known about this traditional delicacy! Join us, and don't be intimidated!

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    • What is Haleem?
    • Video
    • What does Haleem taste like?
    • Benefits of Haleem
    • Which lentils to use in Haleem?
    • What is a lentil mix in this recipe?
    • How to properly garnish Haleem?
    • Two different type of grains in Haleem
    • Which cut of beef is perfect for Haleem?
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Haleem in an Instant pot?
    • How to make Haleem on Stovetop?
    • Tips
    • How to store Haleem and How long it last in the freezer and refrigerator?
    • The Haleem Recipe

    WHAT IS HALEEM?

    Pakistani Thick Beef Haleem (Instant Pot & Stovetop) is a thick Pakistani stew. It's traditionally made with beef but some people substitute it by using chicken or mutton. The dish is a delicate marriage between beef, grains and lentils. You mix the two together, along with Haleem Masala, and voila! We get Haleem. The dish isn't runny; rather, it boasts a lusciously thick consistency. Haleem possesses a distinctive texture and taste, like Beef Nihari, Goat Paya Curry, and Karahi Gosht.

    VIDEO

    WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE AND WHAT'S ITS TEXTURE?

    Haleem taste heavenly, imagine strands of tender beef mixed together with lentils and spices. Haleem wheat and barley helps thicken its texture in a rich flavored stew. Haleem masala enhances the taste.

    BENEFITS OF HALEEM?

    • Nourishing
    • Filling
    • Packed with Protein
    • With the help of Chaat Masala and fresh lemon juice for garnish, it becomes tangy as well.

    WHICH LENTILS TO USE IN HALEEM?

    • Chana Dal
    • Toor Dal
    • Moong Dal
    • Masoor Dal
    • Urad Dal
    lentils in a spoon.

    WHAT IS A LENTILS MIX IN THIS RECIPE?

    • Barley
    • Haleem Wheat
    • Rice
    • Lentils

    HOW TO PROPERLY GARNISH HALEEM?

    • Sprinkle some Chaat Masala.
    • Fried onion mixture.
    • Sprinkle some cilantro, ginger, and green peppers.
    • Fresh Lemon juice.

    TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRAINS IN HALEEM

    Barley and Haleem wheat - They add thickness and texture to produce a unique taste. No other Pakistani dish's ingredients include grains as a vital component.

    WHICH CUT OF BEEF IS PERFECT FOR HALEEM?

    Beef Shank (boneless) with long strands of beef is a perfect meat to use for Haleem. Beef chunks should be about 1.5-2 inches long.

    INGREDIENTS

    • Grains- They produce the thickness and texture of haleem. 
    • Whole Spices- Even though Haleem masala has all the whole spices, you would add some whole spices separately to enhance the taste of the Haleem. Whole spices release essential oils when sautéed, which add aroma.
    • Haleem masala- Can be easily substituted with store-bought masala, though the homemade Haleem masala is incomparable.
    • Lentils and Rice - The rice type can be basmati, Sela or broken rice. Check the recipe card for the quantity of lentils you need for this recipe!

    HOW TO MAKE HALEEM IN INSTANT POT?

    Soak lentils mix over night.
    Bring water to a boil, add in Homemade Haleem Masala, Homemade Ginger Garlic Paste, beef and pressure it in an Instant Pot.
    When the meat is tender, transfer the meat and stock in the Instant pot in another bowl, and set aside.
    The overnight soaked lentils mix should look like this, transfer them in the washed Instant Pot.
    Add in some Homemade Haleem Masala and mix well. Pressure it.
    It should look like this after pressuring it. Set aside.
    Add oil in a pot on stovetop, and add 2 onions. Sauté the onion until they are brown.
    Now take out about 75% of the onion and 75% of the oil from the pot into a bowl. Save this for garnish.
    Now add the whole spices to the 25% onion and oil in the pot.
    Add just beef from the bowl which you transferred from the Instant pot.
    Use the wooden smasher and smash the beef.
    Add ginger garlic paste and mix well.
    Next add yogurt and mix well.
    Now add the stock from beef stock and mix well.
    With the wooden smasher, smash the lentils mixture. You can also use a hand blender to blend the lentils mixture only, but be careful it should be course.
    It should look like this.
    Add the lentils mixture in the pot.
    With the wood smasher mix it while it cooks.
    Add the remaining Homemade Haleem Masala, let it cook on medium-low heat as continuously pounding and mixing it.
    Switch off the flame. Now add the Homemade Garam Masala Powder on top and cover the pot.
    Garnish and Enjoy!!!

    HOW TO MAKE HALEEM ON THE STOVETOP?

    Soak the lentils mix overnight it should look like this.
    Let the lentils, Homemade Haleem Masala, and water cook for 1 hour. Or until the daals are tender. Importantly the Chana daal.
    It should look like this
    Smash the lentils mixture with the wooden smasher or just use a hand blender but be careful it should be course not runny or it will ruin the Haleem consistency. Set aside.
    Now add beef, water, ginger garlic paste, and Homemade Haleem Masala and let it cook on stovetop for 2.5 hours.
    When it's done it should look like this.
    Add oil in a pot on stovetop, and add 2 onion. Sauté the onion until they are brown.
    Now take out 75% of oil and onion from the pot to a bowl. Save this bowl for garnish.
    Now add the whole spices to the onion in the pot.
    Add just beef from the other pot to this pot.
    With the wooden smasher and smash the beef.
    Add ginger garlic paste and mix well.
    Next add yogurt and mix well.
    Now add the stock from beef stock and mix well.
    Add the lentils mixture in the pot.
    With the wood smasher mix and lightly pound it while it cooks.
    mixing with the wood smasher in a pot.
    Add the remaining Homemade Haleem Masala. Let it cook on medium-low heat as continuously pounding and mixing it.
    Now add the Homemade Garam Masala Powder on top. Switch off the flame and cover the pot. Garnish, and Enjoy!

    TIPS

    • Boil both beef and lentils mix separately, because both take different times to cook. If we add lentils with beef mixture and pressure it all together, that would ruin the consistency because the lentils' mixture will be overcooked. 
    • Pressure beef up to a point that it shreds really easily. 
    • Never add tomatoes or tomato paste to this recipe as that will ruin the authenticity of this recipe. 
    • Never blend the meat in the blender.

    HOW TO STORE HALEEM AND HOW LONG IT LAST IN THE FREEZER AND REFRIGERATOR?

    Never leave it outside overnight on room temperate; always place the Haleem in an air-tight container, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. It will last 2-3 days in a refrigerator. But if placed in a freezer, it can last 1-2 months.

    Let's Make Beef Haleem!!!

    a hand holding haleem with 2 bowls in the background.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Pakistani Thick Beef Haleem (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

    Pakistani Thick Beef Haleem (Instant Pot & Stovetop) mix the lentils and beef mixture together along with homemade Haleem masala and Haleem comes to play.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs
    Instant Pot Time2 hrs
    Total Time5 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
    Diet: Halal
    Keyword: beef haleem, haleem, haleem masala, karachi haleem, pakistani haleem, thick haleem
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 676kcal
    Author: Sarah Mirza

    Equipment

    • 1 Instant Pot
    • wooden smasher

    Ingredients

    Lentil Mix

    • ½ cup haleem wheat
    • ¼ cup barley
    • ¼ cup chana dal
    • 1 tbsp moong dal
    • 1 tbsp masoor dal
    • 1 tbsp toor dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 1 tbsp rice

    Whole Spices

    • ½ tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 black cardamom
    • 5 black peppercorns
    • 4 green cardamom
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 bay leaves tez patta

    Powdered Spices

    • homemade haleem masala or store-bought
    • ¼ tsp garam masala powder

    Haleem Ingredients

    • 2 lbs beef
    • 2 cup olive oil
    • 6 tbsp ginger garlic paste
    • 2 tbsp yogurt
    • water
    • 2 medium onion finely sliced

    Garnish

    • chaat masala
    • cilantro
    • ginger julienne
    • fresh lemon juice
    • green pepper finely chopped
    • fried onion mixture

    Instructions

    • For Both Methods you would need to soak the lentils mix overnight, in 2 cups of water.

    Instant Pot Method

      Beef Mixture

      • Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in the instant pot on sauté mode.
      • Add 2 tbsp of Homemade Haleem masala and ginger garlic paste and mix.
      • Now add beef to the instant pot.
      • Pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the meat is completely tender so it's shreddable.
      • Take the contents of the instant pot and set aside in a bowl until it's needed again.

      Lentil Mix

      • Wash the Instant pot's Pot.
      • On sauté mode, bring the lentils mix with its water that was soaking overnight to a boil in the Instant pot.
      • Add 1 tbsp of Homemade Haleem Masala and mix well.
      • Put Pressure for 15 minutes on Instant Pot.
      • Release the steam, Turn off the Instant Pot at this time.
      • Use a hand blender, to roughly course blend the lentils. (Be very careful you don't want to over do, it will ruin the consistency of the Haleem.)
      • Set aside.

      Onion Mixture

      • In a large pot on medium heat, add 2 cups of oil let it heat up.
      • Add 2 onion and sauté it until brown.
      • Take out 75% of onion and oil in a separate bowl, set aside for garnish.
      • So you will have about 25% of the onion and oil left in the pot.

      Haleem

      • In the same pot where you have remaining 25% cup oil and fried onions.
      • Turn the stove to medium, add in bay leaves, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, black cardamom, green cardamom, and cloves.
      • Now add only the meat in the pot with onion and whole spices. Do not add beef stock at this stage.
      • With the help of wooden smasher, shred it by pounding.
      • Add ginger garlic paste and mix well.
      • Then add yogurt and mix well.
      • Add the stock from the beef to the pot.
      • Mix well.
      • Bring it to a boil.
      • Now take the roughly course lentil mixture and mix it with beef mixture.
      • Now add the remaining masala in the pot.
      • Mix together everything with the wood smasher for 10-15 minutes. Remember the stove it on medium-low.
      • Sprinkle Garam Masala powder on top.
      • Wrap the lid of the pot with foil and turn off the stove and cover the lid and let it just sit there for 15 minute.
      • Take out in a bowl how much you want to serve, and garnish with cilantro, green peppers, ginger, fresh lemon juice, chaat masala, and fried onion mixture.
      • Enjoy!

      Stovetop Method

        Beef Mixture For the Stovetop Method

        • Bring 1½ gallons of water to a boil and add meat, ginger garlic paste, and 3 tbsp homemade haleem masala.
        • Keep stirring in between. If the beef doesn't get tender and if you ran out of water simply add more water, 1 cup at a time. This process will take about 2½ hours.
        • Get it off the stove when it's beef is tender and set aside.

        Lentil Mix For the Stovetop

        • Bring the lentils and rice mixture with ½ gallon of water to a boil in a pot on medium-high heat.
        • Add 1 tbsp of Homemade Haleem Masala and mix well.
        • Continuously stir the pot because the lentils and rice will try to stick to the bottom. This process will take about 1 hour.
        • Use a hand blender, to roughly course blend the lentils. (Be very careful you don't want to over do, it will ruin the consistency of the Haleem.)
        • Set aside

        Onion Mixture

        • Follow the same instruction as above for the onion mixture section

        Haleem

        • Follow the same method as above written in the Haleem section.
        • Take out in a bowl how much you want to serve, and garnish with cilantro, green peppers, ginger, fresh lemon juice, chaat masala, and fried onion mixture.
        • Enjoy!

        Video

        Nutrition

        Serving: 1pot | Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 40g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 11IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 3mg
        « 5-Minute Homemade Haleem Masala
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        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. Asma Rafiq says

          January 21, 2023 at 6:18 pm

          Wow! Loved this Haleem, the flavors are authentic.

          Reply
          • Sarah Mirza says

            January 23, 2023 at 1:23 pm

            Thank you so much <3

            Reply
        2. Beena says

          January 21, 2023 at 10:20 pm

          5 stars
          I cooked haleem with this recipe , and it was so delicious!

          Reply
          • Sarah Mirza says

            January 23, 2023 at 1:23 pm

            Thank you so much <3

            Reply
        3. Beena says

          January 21, 2023 at 10:21 pm

          5 stars
          I cooked haleem with this recipe , and it was so yummy!

          Reply
          • Sarah Mirza says

            January 23, 2023 at 1:22 pm

            Thank you so much <3

            Reply
        4. Beena says

          January 21, 2023 at 10:24 pm

          5 stars
          I cooked haleem with this recipe , and it was so yummy! My kids love to eat haleem, and I must say this recipe is kids friendly not too spicy.

          Reply
          • Sarah Mirza says

            January 23, 2023 at 1:22 pm

            Thank you so much <3

            Reply

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