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We couldn’t prise the patented haleem recipe of out of anyone’s lips. But here’s a version

We couldn’t prise the patented recipe out of anyone’s lips. But here’s a version that’ll transport you to Hyderabad without a ticket in your pocket:

1 kg pounded wheat;  kg onions finely sliced; 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 kg boneless mutton, in 2 inch pieces;  kg yogurt;  cup lemon juice;  tsp saffron;  litre ghee; Salt to taste; Pounded Spice Mix; 12 cardamoms; 2 sticks of cinnamon; 12 cloves

2 tsp turmeric; 4 tsp chilli powder; 2 Tbsp poppy seeds; 2 Tbsp cumin; 1 Tbsp coriander powder 

1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves; 12-15 mint sprigs; Lime wedges;  cup fried or raw ginger slivers (optional);  cup fried garlic bits (optional)

»Marinate meat, salt along with the pounded and ground spices.

»Separately in a large handi, start cooking the wheat till tender on firewood or a slow flame.  

»In a kadhai, fry the finely sliced onions till golden. Drain and set aside. Use it later while cooking the mutton.

»Fry ginger and garlic in the same hot ghee, drain and set aside for garnish.

»Retain as much ghee as you need to fry the ginger-garlic paste and marinated mutton. Fry over a slow flame.  

»After 30 minutes, add yogurt and keep cooking on a slow flame. When the meat is half done, add saffron and fried crushed onions. 

»After 10 minutes, remove the meat pieces and grind with wheat. Not in an electric mixer, but by hand on a stone grinder. Once ground, put the meat-and-wheat back into the handi along with lemon juice and keep cooking on a slow fire for 3-4 hours. 

»To serve, ladle into bowls. Garnish with fried onions, slivers of fried ginger, fried garlic bits, a few mint leaves and a squeeze of lime.

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