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Home » Pakistani Chicken » Chicken Haleem recipe

Apr 27, 2019 · Modified: Apr 4, 2022 by Mariam Sodawater · This post may contain affiliate links. Leave a Comment

Chicken Haleem recipe

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4.86 from 14 votes

This fool-proof chicken haleem recipe has straightforward steps and an easy method with clear visuals. Enjoy the same traditional authentic haleem taste with a chicken variation.

Chicken haleem served in a chay pot with garnish. Accompainment visible in the background.

Updated: The post was fully updated with step collages, ingredient shot and a slight change in method. The recipe size was reduced to meet daily proportions.

Haleem is traditionally made with beef and it tastes best that way. But chicken haleem can be great if you wish to avoid red meat for any reason. This recipe shares all tips from scratch for a Dhaba style delicious and sticky Chicken haleem.

I took great pains in testing this recipe. And making it as simple as possible with a number of variations that Haleem has. Like with or without lentils; boneless chicken or chicken with bones; cooking overnight or soaking overnight. Please share a review if you try this recipe.

This is also called khichra Chicken Haleem because you are using a number of lentils and grain along with wheat. You might also like my Hyderabadi haleem recipe and Bohra Haleem recipe (only wheat and no lentils).

Jump to:
  • Why this recipe is best?
  • Ingredients
  • How to make it?
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • 📖 Recipe

Why this recipe is best?

  • Boneless chicken: In a poll on my Instagram most people voted for boneless chicken haleem so I developed the recipe accordingly to keep it convenient.
  • Chicken Stock-based: Haleem is basically wheat and meat stew. So a lot of flavors come from the fat released from the bones. So by using homemade or ready-made chicken stock you get the same delicious flavor without the trouble to separate meat from the bones. The easier method with great flavors.
  • Three-step recipe: The Chicken haleem recipe has three major steps cooking wheat, cooking meat, and final tempering. Simplest recipe with fewer pots!
  • Variations: The recipe is small-sized to fit in regular pots and also suggests a number of substitutes to meet pantry staples.
  • Leftovers: Haleem leftovers always taste better than fresh. What more? You can always freeze it.

Ingredients

And here I present an easy way to make the best Chicken Haleem with a substitute if you can’t find a certain ingredient. I hope as you look at the visual presentation of haleem ingredients, you find the recipe less overwhelming.

Ingredients of Chicken Haleem.
  • Chicken: I'm using boneless chicken in this recipe. If using bone-in chicken find steps below the method and also in recipe notes. If you want only wheat Haleem without grain here is the Mutton Haleem recipe but you can easily substitute mutton for chicken.
  • Grain: We are using three grains in the recipe that is wheat, barley, and rice. You may substitute barley with oats with similar results. Barley helps make the haleem sticky like traditional haleem.
  • Lentils: I'm using a combo of three lentils, that is yellow lentil, red lentil, and Bengal lentil. You may Bengal lentils alone and substitute other lentils with more Bengal lentils.
  • Spice Mix: Chicken Haleem is a quick thing and many people prefer a ready-made spice mix. So it’s up to you whether you prefer ready-made spice mix or make my homemade haleem masala in advance a store it in the fridge.
  • Chicken stock: You can use either concentrated homemade chicken stock made from the carcass of at least one chicken or simply use chicken bouillon cubes dissolved in the water.
  • Ginger garlic: Try to use fresh ingredients for the best taste.
  • Chili: Remember wheat and grain absorb a lot of spices that's why haleem requires a lot of spices compared to other curries. You can always add extra spice mix or chilies after tasting in the tempering.
  • Onions: You can see only one onion in the above shot that goes in the haleem. If making your own fried onions, you'd need a lot more like 5-6 more onions.
  • Oil: If frying your own onions, use the same onion-flavored oil for tempering the chicken haleem.

How to make it?

Here is my easy to comprehend chicken haleem recipe with three major steps.

Step 1: Soak and Cook grains and lentils

Steps to soak and cook grains and lentils.
  1. Take all grains and lentils into a pot. Wash it 3-4 times until the water runs clear. Then fill the pot with about 6 cups of water and soak for at least two hours in warm water.
  2. Take soaked grains and lentils, add ginger, garlic, and green chili paste. Bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot tightly. Cook for 1½ hours or until the grain is fully cooked and mushy.
  3. Grains are cooked. Do a test by pressing the grains between the thumb and index finger. It should be mashable with no uncooked grains.
  4. Blend the grains with an immersion blender. Add more water if required.

Protip: While grain cooks, simultaneously fry your onions for garnish if using homemade onions. ( Do not discard oil, we’ll use the same oil in chicken and tempering.)

Step 2: Cook Chicken

Steps to cook chicken for haleem.
  1. I used my own haleem spices mix. You can make it ahead. Or you may use ready-made as well. In a bowl take chicken ( boneless or with bones), haleem spice mix, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and a little yogurt. Mix well and set aside.
  2. Fry onion in a pot until golden then add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for a few minutes until the color changes.
  3. Then add the chicken stock. Cover the pot and cook the chicken for 15 minutes until tender.
  4. The chicken is cooked, transfer the gravy to the grains pot, retaining the boneless chicken in the pot.

Steps 3: Assembling and tempering Haleem

Steps to assemble and temper haleem.
  1. Add chicken gravy to the grains pots.
  2. Shred the chicken with a fork or use a metal pounder to shred the chicken.
  3. Also, add chicken to the grains pot. Continue to cook haleem on low heat and let it simmer while we prepare baghaar and garnish. Keep stirring the haleem with ghotna or a sturdy spatula at regular intervals and do not let it stick from the bottom.
  4. For tempering heat oil and add cumin, mint, and garlic. Sizzle for a minute then pour the tempering over Haleem. Mix well and your Haleem is ready.

Protip: Take a taste test for Haleem. Adjust if needed. To adjust you may add more spices, haleem masala in tempering.

A close up shot of chicken haleem.

To serve take Haleem on a serving plate or bowl, then garnish fried onion, chilli slices, ginger, and mint. Then drizzle a few spoons of smoking hot oil on the bowl. Serve with a plate of garnish and a slice of lemon. Enjoy.

Bone-in Chicken Method

The original recipe was posted with bone-in chicken. I still recommend using bone-in chicken if possible. Using chicken stock will be optional with bone-in chicken but if you could use it, it only adds extra flavor. The recipe will remain same, you'd only separate bone when shredding chicken on step 6.

Expert Tips

  • This is a Chicken Haleem recipe but you can substitute mutton or beef for chicken.
  • Try to use a mix of both boneless breast and thigh pieces for the best taste.
  • Barley or oats adds stickiness to Haleem so I highly recommend adding it but if you can’t find it, simply add more wheat instead of barley.
  • Spices are quickly undermined with a bulk of grain and lentils so add extra spices if you like spicy Haleem.
  • For wheat only haleem (the Arabic -style): You can make Haleem with just two cups of wheat and skip all lentils and barley. 
  • You can substitute any lentil with another lentil like if using ¾ of chana dal, you can skip Masoor and moong and rice. Mash ki dal or urad is also often added to haleem for sticky texture.
  • Make sure haleem grains are fully cooked before you blend with the immersion blender.
  • Avoid using a blender after adding chicken as it can break the strands of chicken. 
  • Haleem can be served with Naan, or karak double roti. It often served along baingan ka bharta and pakora kadhi. Moong Dal Samosa or Keema Samosa also make a good side with haleem.
Chicken haleem in a clay pot with garnish.

Recipe FAQs

Can I freeze haleem?

Yes, Haleem is freezer-friendly food and can be freezer for 45 days. To serve defrost and reheat completely. Then serve haleem in a bowl and garnish. Then add some smoking oil tarka for best taste.

Can I skip Barley?

Barley or oats helps sticky texture to the haleem so I highly recommend it. But if you just can't find it add equal measures of wheat instead.

Can I use broken wheat instead of whole wheat?

Yes, you can use broken wheat, but then soak for 30 minutes only, and the cooking time of grain will also reduce considerably.

Can I use oats instead of wheat and barley?

Yes! To make oats haleem, skip the wheat and barley in the soaking step. Add 3 cups (250 grams) of oats to the lentil once the lentils are cooked and mushy. The soaking and cooking time of lentils will reduce to 30 minutes each.

Hungry for similar recipes? Try these!

  • Haleem Recipe |Hyderabadi Beef or Mutton
  • Haleem Masala Recipe or Spice Mix
  • Mutton Haleem Recipe (Bohra style)|Step by step
  • Moong Masoor Dal (Pakistani Daal)

If you try this haleem recipe, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback in the comments. Your 5-ratings motivate me to do my best. Stay connected for more recipes and videos on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube.

📖 Recipe

A close up shot of chicken haleem.

Chicken Haleem Recipe

Haleem is nutritious whole grain meal, with goodness of grains, lentils and meat. It tastes best with an array of garnish and chat masala.
4.86 from 14 votes
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Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours
Servings : 10 servings
Calories: 334kcal
Author: Mariam Sodawater
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Ingredients

For Grains and Lentils

  • 1 cup whole wheat or broken wheat
  • ¼ cup barley, (jaav) or oats
  • ¼ cup red lentil, (masoor daal)
  • ¼ cup yellow lentil, (moong dal)
  • ¼ cup Bengal gram, (channa dal)
  • ⅛ cup rice
  • 1½ to 2 tablespoon green chilli paste, adjust as per spice preference.
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste

For Chicken

  • 500 grams boneless chicken
  • 2 tablespoon yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2½ to 3½ Haleem spice mix, use ready-made or try my homemade haleem masala
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 medium onions, , sliced
  • 1 cup chicken stock, or 1 chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 cup of water. See notes.

Tempering

  • ¼ cup oil, use oil used to fry sliced onions
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • Hand full of mint leaves, chopped

Garnish

  • Fried onions, see notes
  • Ginger , julliened
  • Mint leaves
  • Chat masala
  • Medium sized green chillies, sliced

Instructions

For wheat and lentils

  • Combine all lentils and grains and wash them by changing the water twice or as required. Soak for 2 hours in warm water.
  • Take soaked lentils and grains in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add salt, ginger, garlic, green chili paste, and about 6 cups of water. Bring lentils to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cover the lid tightly Cook for 1½ hour.
  • When grains and lentils are very soft and mushy blend with an immersion blender, until very smooth. Cook further on slow heat and keep stirring at intervals to avoid sticking from the bottom.

For Chicken

  •  In a bowl take chicken, haleem spice mix, chili powder, turmeric, salt, and a little yogurt. Mix well and set aside.
  • Fry onion in a pot until golden then add the marinated chicken. Stir-fry the chicken for a few minutes until the color changes to light golden.
  • Add the chicken stock. Cover the pot and cook the chicken on medium heat for 15 minutes or until tender.
  • Add chicken gravy to the grains pots retaining the chicken in the pot. Shred the chicken with a fork. Also, add the shredded chicken to the grains pot.
    Pro tip: Avoid using a blender after adding chicken as it can break the strands of chicken. 

Ghotna:

  • Continue to cook haleem on low heat and let it simmer while we prepare baghaar and garnish. Keep stirring the haleem with ghotna or a sturdy spatula at regular intervals and do not let it stick from the bottom.
    Pro tip: If haleem is sticking to the bottom. Place a griddle (tawa) underneath the pot.

Tempering (baghaar)

  • Heat oil in a pan, and cumin, mint, and garlic. Sizzle for a minute then adds the tempering to Haleem. Mix well and your Haleem is ready. (Pro tip: Take a taste test before making tempering and you may adjust spice by adding to the tempering. )
  • To serve take Haleem on a serving plate or bowl, then garnish fried onion, chili slices, ginger, and mint. Then drizzle a few spoons of smoking hot oil or ghee on the bowl. Serve with a plate of garnish and a slice of lemon. Enjoy with naan or just plain on its own.

Notes

  • Chicken: I'm using boneless chicken in this recipe.
  • Try to use a mix of both boneless breast and thigh pieces for the best taste.
  • If you are using bone-in chicken just separate the bones when you shred the chicken and discard them.  You can easily substitute mutton or beef for chicken.
  • Lentils: You may use Bengal lentils alone and substitute other lentils with more Bengal lentils. You can also use mash ki dal.
  • Chicken stock: You can use either homemade chicken stock made from the carcass of at least one chicken. Make sure the stock is very concentrated. Or simply use a chicken bouillon cube dissolved in the water.
  • Onions: If making your own fried onions, you'd need a lot more like 5 medium onions or more.
  • Oil: If frying your own onions, use the same onion-flavored oil for cooking chicken and for tempering.
  • Barley or oats adds stickiness to Haleem so I highly recommend adding it but if you can’t find it, simply add more wheat instead of barley.
  • For wheat only haleem (the Arabic -style): You can make Haleem with just two cups of wheat and skip all lentils and barley. 

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1bowl ,Calories: 334kcal ,Carbohydrates: 31g ,Protein: 18g ,Fat: 16g ,Saturated Fat: 1g ,Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g ,Monounsaturated Fat: 9g ,Trans Fat: 1g ,Cholesterol: 33mg ,Sodium: 342mg ,Potassium: 400mg ,Fiber: 7g ,Sugar: 1g ,Vitamin A: 100IU ,Vitamin C: 3mg ,Calcium: 42mg ,Iron: 2mg
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Hi, I’m a Mariam Sodawater, a passionate home chef dedicated to sharing authentic South Asian taste with simple recipes and easy-to-find ingredients. My motto is EASY, HEALTHY, and FRUGAL food. Home cooking can be fun and therapeutic!

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