Beef Haleem

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Beef haleem is too good not to try! This recipe is amazing and one of my all time favourites.

Beef haleem might look a bit strange but it’s incredible. The beef, lentils and wheat offer the perfect combination of flavours together with the special beef haleem spice blend. This beef haleem recipe is very similar to the chicken haleem I posted a while back. It does take a little longer to cook though because the stewing beef requires a good, long cook.

About this beef haleem recipe.

Beef haleem is the most popular haleem. Chicken haleem and also mutton haleem are both very good but beef is the king of the all. Mutton or lamb are used in India but beef haleem is the original and still most served in Pakistan.

Haleem is a dish of lentils, wheat and meat that are slowly cooked in spices for a few of hours until it becomes sticky and gooey.

The sticky and gooey description might sound a bit strange to you but believe me… once you try this beef haleem, you are going to want to make it again often. It really is that good!

How long should you cook a beef haleem?

This is really down to you. In India and Pakistan, meat haleems are traditionally simmered over fire for up to 12 hours. Now I realise that most busy people these days don’t have the time or will to cook a meal for 12 hours so I have shortened the cooking time some.

That said, if you have the time, you can let your haleem simmer over a low heat for up to 12 hours too. The longer cooking will really break the ingredients down even more and the flavour will be substantially better too.

What do you serve with beef haleem?

Naans and chapatis are always good with a homemade haleem. I have a lot of good recipes for you here. Why not try  Instant naans, Peshwari naans, stove top naans, keema naans, garlic naans, tandoor naans (if you have a tandoor oven), or if you’re cooking outdoors, karahi naans. You might also like to try these  homemade chapatis.

Do you have to use so many different lentils in beef haleem?

No. But each of the lentils used in my recipe add their own flavour to the dish so I do recommend that you use them all if you can source them. They are all available online and at Asian shops.

You could cheat, however and omit one or two varieties and just top it up with one of the others. Chana dal is a must, however and as chana dal is one of the easiest to source, you shouldn’t find that a problem.

I can’t stress enough, however that from my experiments, you really do want to get all those different lentils into your beef haleem.

Do you have to add the wheat?

You do need to add the wheat to make a proper beef haleem. It is one of the ingredients that turns this from something similar to a dal to the gooey deliciousness it is.

That said, you could leave it out if you are gluten free and still have a delicious dish.

Bulgur wheat vs cracked wheat

Cracked wheat is what is used in a traditional beef haleem. Whole bulgur wheat is much easier to source though at most supermarkets. They are essentially the same thing, the difference being that whole bulgur wheat has been par-cooked before packaging. 

So although it doesn’t look like it, whole bulgar wheat actually cooks faster than cracked wheat that has not been pre-cooked. 

You could use either because the long cooking time of the dish will cook either to perfection.

Do you really need to add that much ghee?

In the recipe card below, you will find the traditional way of making beef haleem which does call for a lot of ghee. That’s how it’s done and it’s how I wanted to show the recipe to you.

You could, however reduce the amount of ghee to preference. Beef haleem is a truely indulgent dish that’s best served with lots of ghee for special occasions. 

Can you prepare beef haleem in advance?

Yes! In fact, as the flavours develop, your beef haleem will get even better.

You can prepare the dish one or two days ahead of serving and then just heat it up. You should, however prepare and add the tarka just before serving. 

Can you use other cuts of beef?

Yes. I use stewing steak because this is a long, slow cook and stewing steak has great flavour and is also cheaper. Any cut of beef will do though. More expensive cuts will cook faster but I really recommend using some kind of stewing steak such as chuck.

Pro Tips

1. Soaking the lentils and wheat: You should soak the lentils and meat overnight if time permits. This will ensure a faster cook.
2. Cook low and slow: The longer you can simmer your beef haleem the better. Just be sure to stir often as the lentils do have a tendency to catch to the pan.
3. Serve with garnishes: You should consider serving the haleem with fresh chopped chillies, julienned ginger and lime wedges for extra flavour. These can all be added to taste.

Haleem in step by step photographs.

You really need to watch those beef haleem lentils!

I can’t stress enough how important it is to stir those lentils while they cook! If you don’t, they will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

If this happens to you. pour the lentils into a large bowl, clean out the burn lentils and pour the lentil back into the pot. 

When you first start cooking, stirring can be done every 10 minutes or so. When you are finishing up cooking, you will need to stir continuously.