Haleem is a popular Asian and Middle-Eastern food. Haleem has been around for centuries. And it is also known for some other names too e.g. Harees/Hareesa, Keshkek, Kichara or Daleem. The origin of haleem is not definite, but one thing is clear Haleem is a Muslim dish and spread throughout the Muslim world. Haleem is a star of Arabian, Turkish, Persian, Pakistani, Bengali and Indian cuisine. Haleem is considered to be the dish of holy months of Ramadan and Muharram of Muslim Hijri calendar. Haleem must have traveled with Muslims and formed different versions meeting the taste of regions.

Haleem is made of meat (preferably beef or mutton), grains (wheat, barley and rice), lentils and ghee. All the ingredients are cooked together for 5 to 6 hours and mashed up well. There are quite a few versions of haleem around from different regions. Since Subcontinent is blessed with a decent range of spices Pakistani, Bengali and Indian haleem/hareesa is very spicy. Arabian food is generally light in spices, so is their harees/hareesa. Way of eating haleem depends on the region as well. Some people eats it directly with spoon and some people eats it with bread (naan).

ARABIAN HAREES/HAREESA
Arabian version of haleem known as harees is cooked with mutton, beef or camel meat, ghee, wheat, rice and whole green pulses, spiced with garlic paste, black pepper and salt. Harees is topped off with ghee or olive oil, black pepper and fried onions.

PERSIAN HALEEM
Persian haleem is also light in spices like Arabian harees. Persian haleem is cooked with turkey, wheat and oats, spiced with onion, salt and cinnamon. Persian haleem is topped off with melted butter, sesame and sugar.

KASHMIRI HAREESA
Subcontinent has its own version of hareesa. It came with Turks and blended in Kashmiri cuisine. Kashmiri hareesa is cooked with mutton or beef, wheat, lentils and spiced with salt, black pepper and all spice. Hareesa is topped off with a chutney sauce and little meat kebabs and is eaten with bread (naan).

BENGALI HALEEM
Bengali haleem is made by marinating the meat (lamb or chicken) overnight with ginger-garlic paste, red chili, salt, turmeric and all spice. It is then cooked with wheat and is then mashed up. Bengali haleem is topped off with chopped mint, fried onions, lemon wedges and roasted cashew nuts or almonds.

KICHARA
Kichara is cooked with mutton or beef, wheat, lentils, salt, all spice, red chili and ghee. The difference in haleem and kichara is; the grains are not mashed up in a paste in kichara. Kichara is left with its whole grains in thick gravy of mashed meat.

HYDERABADI HALEEM
Hyderabadi haleem is the popular haleem of Pakistan and India. Hyderabadi haleem is cooked with mutton or beef, wheat, lentils, salt, ginger-garlic paste, all spice, red chili, turmeric and ghee. Cooked together and then mashed up. Hyderabadi haleem is finished with sizzling golden onions in ghee (bhegar/tarka) and topped off withsliced ginger, chopped coriander and mint, green chilies and fried onions. It can be enjoyed directly with spoon or bread (naan).

Try some of KhanaPakana’s haleem recipes.

Royal hareesa (chicken hareesa)
Shola
Haleem