What Is Haleem?

Haleem is a slow-cooked stew of meat (traditionally beef or mutton), lentils (chana, masoor, urad and moong dal) and broken wheat or barley. After hours of simmering the ingredients are mashed or hand-pulled into a thick, savoury porridge with a luxurious, almost creamy texture.

Origins

The dish traces back to harees, a wheat-and-meat porridge documented across the Arab world since the 10th century. It travelled with Mughal court kitchens into the subcontinent, where Hyderabad turned it into haleem — smoother, ghee-rich, fragrant with whole spices — and Karachi turned it into the rustic, hand-pulled, tarka-finished version we serve at Mr. Haleem.

How it’s eaten

Hot, in a bowl, topped with ginger juliennes, fried onions, fresh coriander, a squeeze of lemon, a small pile of chaat masala and the unmissable smoky tarka. A side of naan or roti for scooping.

When it’s eaten

Haleem is the unofficial dish of Iftar across Karachi during Ramadan, but it’s also a year-round Sunday-brunch staple, a winter comfort food and a fixture of Muharram nazar offerings.

Browse the Karachi food glossary for terms like degh, tarka, koozi, zabiha and more.