Harees or Haleem is inseparable with the image of Charminar and the holy month of Ramadan. Every year in Ramadan, stalls selling this delicacy spring up in every nook and cranny of Hyderabad and Hyderabadis enjoy it religiously throughout the month and also on special occasions, weddings and ‘functions’.
Traditionally made with wheat and cooked for long hours and blended with meat using a ‘ghota‘, a large wooden spoon, haleem is an elaborate affair and is typically made in large batches.
This recipe reminds me of the early days after my wedding. It was Ramadan and the ongoing tradition with my in-laws is to have home-made haleem almost every day. Thankfully, my mother in law devised this quick version which is just as mouthwatering and satisfies the cravings. This was one of the first dishes I cooked so many times in my new home.

Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Passive Time | 15 minutes |
Servings |
people
|
- 250 g Instant Oats
- 1 tsp whole shazira
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 500 g Boneless Meat
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp whole kababchini
- 3-4 whole green cardamoms
- 1 cup oil
- 3 medium onions
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2-3 Tbsp green chili paste
- A handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves
- 1 cup yogurt
- 4-5 Tbsp almond and cashew powder (equal amount of each)
- 2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 packet Potli masala simmer in 3 cups of water and strain out liquid
- juice of 2 limes
Ingredients
For the oats
For the mutton
To complete
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- To cook the oats: Take all the ingredients for the oats, add about 4 cups of water. Cook stirring for 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook the mutton: In a pressure cooker, take all the ingredients and cook for 3-4 whistles. Add a little water if required and cook on low for another 10 minutes until the meat is very tender.
- Let both the oats and the mutton cool down. Then blend them well together into a paste, in batches in a blender or using a hand blender. Set aside. The haleem can be prepared in advance up until this step and stored appropriately.
- To make the Haleem: Take the oil in a large vessel and fry the onions. Remove half and set aside for garnish. In the hot oil add the ginger-garlic and green chili pastes and fry for a minute. Add in the yogurt, almond and cashew paste, chopped coriander and mint and fry a little more until the oil begins to separate. Add the oats-meat mixture and mix well stirring until it comes to a boil. Add in the garam masala, potli masala liquid, and lime juice. Keep it on low for about 5- 10 minutes with occasional stirring to allow the flavors to meld and the haleem is thick and stringy.
- Serve hot with the fried onions, a dollop of ghee (optional), fried cashews, lime wedges, chopped herbs, and thinly sliced cucumbers.