Haleem

Haleemis a type ofstewthat is widely consumed inSouth Asia, theMiddle EastandCentral Asia. Although the dish varies from region to region, it optionally includes wheat orbarley, meat andlentils. It is made by slow cooking the meat in lentils and spices. It is served hot with flat breads or on its own. Popular variations of haleem includekeşkekinTurkey,Tajikistan,Uzbekistan,Azerbaijanandnorthern Iraq;harisain theArab worldandArmenia;haliminAfghanistan,Iran,West Bengal, inMauritius,PakistanandBangladesh; andkhichrainIndia.
Haleem is made of four main components:
This dish is slow-cooked for seven to eight hours and then vigorously stirred or beaten with apestle-likestirring stick. This results in a paste-like consistency, blending the flavors of spices, meat, barley, and wheat.
In the end, the cooked haleem is garnished with fried onions, julienne-cut ginger, sliced green chillies, coriander leaves, lemon wedges, and chaat masala. However, haleem preparation varies in different regions.
The origin of Haleem lies in the popular Arabian dish known asHarees(also written asJareesh). According to Shoaib Daniyal, writing inThe Sunday Guardian, the first written recipe of Harees dates back to the10th century, when Arab scribe Abu Muhammad al-Muzaffar ibn Sayyar compiled a cookbook of dishes popular with the "kings and caliphs and lords and leaders" ofBaghdad. "The version described in his Kitab Al-Tabikh (Book of Recipes), the world's oldest surviving Arabic cookbook, is strikingly similar to the one people in theMiddle Easteat to this day" it reported. The Harees was cooked as theArab empirewas extended to different parts of the world.
Harees was introduced in theIndian subcontinentby the Arab soldiers of theHyderabadNizam's army to the city.Today, Harees is still available in the Arab quarter of Hyderabad, an area calledBarkas, where the dish is calledJareesh.Later on, the people of Hyderabad modified it to suit their palate thus creating modern haleem.
Haleem is sold as a snack food inbazaarsthroughout the year. It is also a special dish prepared throughout the world during theRamadanandMuharrammonths of theMuslimHijri calendar, particularly amongPakistanisandIndian Muslims.Since the name of this dish is the same ofone of the names of Allah, specificallyAl Haleem, some South Asian Muslims have started to refer to this dish as "Daleem", reasoning that it is more correct since the South Asian version of this dish contains large amounts ofdal, or lentils.It is mostly still referred to as Haleem.
In India, haleem prepared inHyderabadduring the Ramadan month,is transported all over the world through a special courier service. Haleem is traditionally cooked in large, wood-firedcauldrons.
Haleem is also very popular inBangladesh, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when it is a staple dish.However, the Bangladeshi version of halim differs from other areas slightly as the meat and bones are stewed and kept as small pieces instead of mashing them with the lentil soup. In addition, the variety of spices used is also different. One common  Bangladeshi version of Halim is called "Shahi Halim"; it is mostly popular in the central part of the country.
InPakistan, Haleem is available all year round, as well as in most Pakistani restaurants around the world. Haleem is sold as asnack foodandstreet foodin Pakistanibazaarsthroughout the year.
It is a tradition amongPersian Jewsto eat haleem onShabbat, since like other Shabbat stews such ascholentandhaminit's a slow-cooked dish that can be prepared before the beginning of Shabbat and then cooked overnight at a low temperature.
Haleem has become a popular dish in the cities ofHyderabad, Telangana andAurangabad, Maharashtra(Aurangabad, the first capital of Hyderabad State) in India. Originating from anArabic dishcalledHarees,Haleem was introduced to the region during theMughalperiod by foreign migrants.
In 2010, Hyderabadi haleem was awarded Geographical Indication status by the IndianGI registry office. It became the first meat product of India to receive a GI certification.This means that a dish cannot be sold as Hyderabadi haleem unless it meets the necessary standards laid down for it.
In the Indian subcontinent, both haleem andkhichraare made with similar ingredients. In khichra, the chunks of meat remain as cubes, while in haleem the meat cubes are taken out of the pot, bones are removed, the meat is crushed and put back in the pot. It is further cooked until the meat completely blends with the lentils, wheat and barley mixture.
A high-calorie dish, haleem provides protein from the meat andfibreandcarbohydratesfrom the various combinations of grains and pulses.
Haleem can be served with choppedmint leaves,lemon juice,corianderleaves, fried onions, choppedginger rootorgreen chilies. In some regions of Pakistan, Haleem is eaten withNaanor with any type of bread or rice. In some parts of Uzbekistan it is served with sugar.