Daal haleem (lamb lentil stew)

One of the most exciting and favourite desi dishes in pakistani cuisine is what we call ‘Haleem.’ Its origin is actually middle eastern so for the Arabic world it would be named as ‘Hareesa,’ typically a stew that has been created with unique indrediants such as barley or wheat mixed with lentils and meat.

This dish with all its elegance and pride, is known for its smooth and purified curry which melts in your mouth along with shredded pieces of tender cooked meat.

To get this consistency it is slow cooked for 6 to 8 hours approximatley and the ingrediants are then grinded together to form a thick paste. Its not a difficult recipe its just a long process but with lots of stirs, love and patience its probably worth it!

For young mothers or new mums like myself, dishes like this can be a challenge when your tied in with other duties and responsibilities. Nevertheless, we always find an alternative that is equivalent to the original. Quick and easy but tastey is what we do in order to keep up with everything else.

Good technique, brave ideas and simple instructions is key to a succesful recipe. You can master every recipe in the book as long as you have great knowlegde of flavour and the skill to create a perfect dish.

This authentic dish is not only a vibe but it is also a great healthy recipe! Its filling and fulfilling as this recipe is full of nutrition foods like lentils and meat. Meat is optional afcourse you can use whatever suits your tastebuds from chicken beef or lamb.

The dish is best served with hot fluffy naan! Honestly i can just imagine the warm fluffy texture dipped in thick caramelized stew and slowly melting in your mouth.. Wouldnt you like that!

Try this at home if you have spare 8 hours or so! But If your a busy mum of 2 like me and you just cant even think about cooking a complicated recipe when you have two babies asking for more attention than these lentils.. not happening!

So hopefully i will put up in my next post how to make an alternative version which is quick and easy yet tasty under 6 hours! Keep an eye out for that untill then .. chao!