Beef Haleem

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2¼ lb) bone-in beef shank
• 100 g (½ cup) cracked wheat (dalia), or coarse bulgur
• 50 g (¼ cup) each chana dal, masoor dal and moong dal
• 50 g (¼ cup) pearl barley
• 3 tbsp ghee, plus more for the topping
• 3 large onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala, plus ½ tsp for the topping
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 2 litres (8 cups) water
• 4 green chillies, slit
• 120 g (½ cup) plain yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

To serve

• Fried onions, chopped mint, cilantro, ginger matchsticks, lemon wedges

Steps

1. Soak the wheat, dals and barley together in water overnight; drain.
2. Heat the ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the onions for 15 minutes, until deep brown. Remove half for garnish.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala and cumin, and stir for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and cook 3 minutes.
4. Add the beef, salt, green chillies and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and stew over low heat for 2½ hours, until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.
5. Lift out the beef, shred the meat, and discard the bones and fat.
6. Add the drained grains and dals to the broth. Cover and cook for 1½ hours over low heat, stirring from the bottom every 15 minutes, until everything is soft.
7. Return the shredded meat and mash the stew with a wooden spoon or potato masher for 10 minutes over low heat, until it turns thick, smooth and stringy like porridge. Add hot water if it gets too dense.
8. Pour into bowls, drizzle with hot ghee and garam masala, and top with fried onions, herbs and ginger. Serve with lemon.

Notes

• Texture: haleem should fall off a spoon in a thick ribbon; the long mashing step is what gives it its signature stretchy texture.
• Pressure cooker: cook the beef and grains together for 1 hour at high pressure to cut the time by half.
• Make ahead: it keeps 4 days in the refrigerator and freezes for 3 months; thin with hot water and reheat until steaming hot.