Slow-cooked classic · Feeds a crowd

Beef Haleem Recipe (Pakistani Daleem)

Soak overnight. Shred the beef. Ghotna until silky.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Haleem is wheat, barley and lentils slow-cooked with beef until everything melts into a thick, stretchy porridge. It turns grainy or lumpy when the grains are under-cooked or the mixture is not beaten. The fix is soaking overnight, cooking grains and meat separately, and beating them together until silky.

Prep30m
Cook4h
Servings10
kcal / serving480
LevelHard
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of beef haleem

Why this recipe works

Soak overnight

Dry grains

Soaked grains break down fully.

Cook separately

All in one pot

Meat and grains need different times.

Ghotna

Just stir

Beating makes haleem stretchy.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

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

Grains

Beef

Garnish

The NineFoods haleem gauge

Is the haleem silky enough?

Lift a spoonful and let it fall.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Cook grains

Low · 2 hours
  1. Boil the soaked grains and dals with turmeric and water.
  2. Simmer until completely soft, then blend coarsely.
Look for: a smooth grain porridge.
120:00
2

Cook beef

Low · 2 hours
  1. Fry ginger garlic paste and beef in oil, add haleem masala and salt.
  2. Add water and cook until it shreds.
Look for: beef falls apart.
120:00
3

Combine and beat

Low · 45 min
  1. Shred the beef into the grains with its masala.
  2. Beat with a ghotna or whisk, stirring often. Use the gauge above.
Look for: thick, stretchy haleem.
45:00
4

Tarka and serve

High · 3 min
  1. Fry sliced onions golden in oil and pour over.
  2. Serve with all the garnishes.
Look for: glossy haleem with fried onions.
03:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Grains under-cooked.

Fix next time

Soak overnight and cook until fully soft before beating.

Why

Not beaten.

Fix next time

Beat with a ghotna or use a hand blender briefly.

Why

Too little masala.

Fix next time

Add haleem masala to the beef and season well.

Why

Heat too high.

Fix next time

Cook on low and stir from the bottom.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
BeefMainMutton or chicken
Whole wheatBodyDaliya (broken wheat)
Haleem masalaSpiceGaram masala plus chilli and coriander
GhotnaBeatingHand blender, short bursts

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Naan and all the garnishes: fried onions, ginger, chillies, mint and lemon.

Store

Fridge 4 days. Freezer 3 months.

Reheat

Add hot water and stir on low until 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 10 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 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 haleem silky enough) 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 Pakistani recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Beef Haleem FAQ

What is the difference between haleem and daleem?

Daleem is the Pakistani name for beef or mutton haleem cooked with wheat and lentils.

Why soak the grains?

Soaking helps them break down into a smooth porridge.

Can I use a pressure cooker?

Yes, it cuts cooking time to about 1.5 hours total.

How long does haleem keep?

4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.