I prefer halim to be slightly bland, with flavours of the lentil and meat as the stars, and pulling up the dish with garnish. It is garnish of fresh coriander, green chilli, onion, lemon and ghee that brings that simple flavours to another level.
Here goes:
3/4 cup each - Broken wheat (dalia), mung dal and chana dal
1/2 cup - Arhar dal
1.5 inch ginger - Crushed and use the juice
8-9 green cardamom - Crush and just use the seeds ground with little water
Garlic - 2-3 pods, finely chopped
Red chilli powder - 2 spoons (adjust according to taste)
Jeera powder - 1 spoon
Haldi / turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 spoon
Lemon - 2
Salt to taste
Mutton on bone - 300 gm
1) Marinate mutton overnight with red chilli, jeera, turmeric, hing, juice of half a lemon.
2) Wash broken wheat and the lentils well in two-three changes of water and soak overnight.
3) In a heavy bottomed vessel (I used a cooker), put marinated mutton and the lentils with two cups of water and start cooking on slow flame. Add cardamom extract. Cook for about two hours.
4) Once meat starts falling off the bone, remove the pieces out and de-bone. Grind in a mixer and add to the lentil mix. Add salt. Adjust spices if required. Add garlic. Cook for another half an hour. The mix should be creamy and smooth.
5) Garnish with coriander, finely chopped green chillies, and fresh onion. Add a dollop of ghee.
Most recipes use chat masala/Garam masala as well but I like the taste as is. Experiment along the way as per your taste.
Halim is a popular dish, especially in Hyderabad, cooked during the holy month of Ramzan.
