Persian winter breakfast · Sweet topping

Halim Recipe (Persian Wheat and Meat Porridge)

Soak the wheat. Shred the meat. Beat until stretchy.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Persian halim is peeled wheat and shredded meat cooked for hours and beaten until it stretches like glue, then topped with butter, cinnamon and sugar. It stays grainy and loose when the wheat is not soaked or not beaten long enough. The fix is soaking overnight, slow cooking until the grains burst, and beating hard with a wooden spoon or a stick blender.

Prep15m
Cook4h
Servings6
kcal / serving430
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of halim

Why this recipe works

Soak overnight

Dry wheat

Soaked grains burst and thicken.

Shred the meat

Cubes

Fine threads blend into the wheat.

Beat hard

Gentle stirring

Beating creates the stretch.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Halim

Topping

The NineFoods halim gauge

Is the halim ready?

Lift the spoon and watch the strands.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 3 stages

Step by step

1

Cook wheat

Low · 150 min
  1. Simmer soaked wheat in water, stirring often, until grains burst.
Look for: soft, swollen wheat.
150:00
2

Cook meat

Low · 90 min
  1. In another pot simmer meat with onion and salt; shred finely.
Look for: fine meat threads.
90:00
3

Combine and beat

Low · 45 min
  1. Add meat to wheat and beat hard, or pulse with a stick blender.
  2. Use the gauge above.
Look for: silky, stretchy halim.
45:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Not soaked or short cook.

Fix next time

Soak overnight and cook until grains burst.

Why

Not beaten.

Fix next time

Beat hard or use a stick blender.

Why

High heat.

Fix next time

Low heat and frequent stirring.

Why

Under-salted.

Fix next time

Salt the meat broth.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Peeled wheatBasePearl barley
LambProteinTurkey or chicken breast
Sugar toppingTraditionalSalt and pepper for savoury
ButterRichnessGhee

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Hot tea, with cinnamon and sugar on top.

Store

Fridge 4 days; freezes 3 months.

Reheat

Low heat with water, beating smooth.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the halim ready) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Persian recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Tenderise Meat

Quick answers

Halim FAQ

Is Persian halim sweet?

Yes, it is usually topped with sugar, cinnamon and butter.

How is it different from Pakistani haleem?

Persian halim is plain wheat and meat with a sweet topping; Pakistani haleem uses lentils and spices.

Can I use a pressure cooker?

Yes, it cuts the time to about 90 minutes.

When is halim eaten?

For winter breakfasts and Ramadan suhoor.