Haleem – Bulgur and Chicken Stew
"As you can tell by the name, it's mostly made of Bulgur Wheat that’s boiled to then form a purée and Chicken that's cooked or boiled and shredded. The two are cooked in heavy doses of Ghee and few spices to get a smooth porridge or stew we call Haleem. "
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What makes Haleem- Bulgur and Chicken Stew healthy?
There aren’t any ingredients that have high Glycemic Index in this recipe of Haleem. It’s made of Bulgur Wheat or cracked wheat and meat of your choice (Here, we use chicken). It’s an overall healthy choice for a dinner meal or lunch meal. This can also be easily meal prepped for the week.
Ingredients to make Haleem- Bulgur and Chicken Stew
2 Chicken breast, small cubed
½ cup Bulgur Wheat, Medium coarse
1 onion, medium sized, sliced
3 tbsp Yogurt
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Ginger Paste
1 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Salt
2 Green chillies, sliced
Cilantro, a bunch
1 tbsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
1 cup Fried onions
1 cup Lemon Juice
1 cup Ghee
Cashews, fried (for garnish)
Mint, a handful
Steps to make Haleem- Bulgur and Chicken Stew
Step 1 : Rinse the Bulgur wheat and place it in an Instant Pot or a Pressure Cooker with a cup of water and pressure cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 2 : Meanwhile, thinly slice the onion and fry three-quarters of it (fry to get a beautiful golden brown color) and save a quarter for the chicken.
Step 3 : Once the Bulgur is completely cooked (it becomes soft and swollen), purée it using a hand blender.
Step 4 : In a pressure cooker or the instant pot, add some ghee and sliced onions, sauté until translucent and soft. Add the chicken with Paprika, Turmeric, Ginger and Garlic Paste, Salt, a green chilli and Cilantro. Sauté for about 5 minutes and add beaten Yogurt to it. You can add a dash of water at this point and pressure cook on high to get super tender chicken for about 10 minutes.
Step 5 : Shred the chicken and save the liquid for later.
Step 6 : In a heavy bottomed pot or a dutch oven, combine both puréed bulgur and shredded chicken and mix vigorously to get a smooth consistency. Use the liquid from the chicken to achieve this.
Step 7 : Add fried onions, Cilantro, Mint, Black Pepper Powder, Garam Masala, Lemon Juice and dollops of Ghee and fold in.
Step 8 : Keep mixing and incorporating for about 30 minutes. You can stop when you see a medallion-ish color and it has a thick and not too runny consistency, like that of a porridge.
Step 9 : At this point, turn the heat to low and cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 10 : Garnish with Fried onions, fried Cashews, finely chopped Mint and a drizzle of ghee and serve hot!
How to store Haleem- Bulgur and Chicken Stew
Haleem can be stored up to a week in the refrigerator and up to 15 days in the freezer. Just put it in an air tight plastic container or a ziplock bag.
Make sure you heat it properly and for sufficient time to completely defrost it. You can also add water and a little salt to get back the smooth consistency, if you like.