Hyderabadi Haleem (Slow-Pounded Wheat and Lamb)

Ingredients

• 300g wheat grains (whole, soaked overnight)
• 800g mutton (shoulder and neck, cut into 25mm pieces)
• 120g full-fat yogurt
• 80g onion (medium dice)
• 60 ml ghee
• 40g ginger-garlic paste
• 30g fresh mint (whole leaves)
• 30g fresh coriander (whole leaves)
• 20g green chillies (slit)
• 15g coriander seeds
• 10g cumin seeds
• 8 Tellicherry black peppercorns
• 6 green cardamom pods
• 4 clove buds
• 2 Indian bay leaves
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 mace blade
• 1 litre mutton stock
• 5g sea salt
• 3g red chilli powder
• 2g turmeric powder

Method

1. 1
   Soak wheat overnight; drain and combine with 400 ml water in heavy-bottomed handi pot; cook covered 90 minutes, stirring frequently, until wheat is tender but grains remain intact; set aside.
2. 2
   Toast all dry spices (coriander seed, cumin seed, black peppercorn, cardamom, clove, mace, bay leaf) in dry pan 2 minutes; grind coarsely; set aside.
3. 3
   Season mutton with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric; marinate in yogurt and ginger-garlic paste 30 minutes.
4. 4
   Heat ghee in handi pot; brown onion dice until deep golden (8 min); add marinated mutton; cook uncovered 15 minutes, breaking apart meat with wooden spoon to ensure even contact with pot.
5. 5
   Add toasted spice blend, mint, coriander, green chillies; pour in mutton stock; bring to gentle simmer.
6. 6
   Add cooked wheat; stir gently; cover pot; reduce heat to lowest setting; slow-cook 120 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes with grinding motion of wooden spoon to break down meat and wheat into porridge consistency (traditional pounding motion replicated by stirring).
7. 7
   Haleem should achieve unified, creamy texture with no distinguishable grains or meat chunks; taste and adjust salt and spice.
8. 8
   Serve in bowl, drizzled with ghee and garnished with crispy fried onions, fresh mint, and lime wedge.