Shahi Haleem with Bone-In Shank and Ghee Baghar

Method

1. Rinse the wheat, barley, chana dal, urad dal, red lentils and rice until the water runs clear, cover with plenty of cold water and soak for at least 8 h (overnight). A long soak is what gives this version its silky texture.

   Add in this stepWhole wheat berries or coarse bulgur 70 gPearl barley 20 gChana dal 20 gUrad dal 10 gRed lentils 20 gBasmati rice 10 g

2. Drain the grains and shake off as much water as you can. Melt a fifth of the ghee in a 20 cm pot on medium heat and toast the grains for 3 min, until they smell nutty. Add the grain water, half the turmeric and about a third of the salt, bring to the boil, skim, then turn down to low heat, partly cover and simmer for 1 h 20 min. Scrape the bottom every 10 minutes and add hot water if it catches. It is ready when the grains crush completely between your fingers.

   Add in this stepGhee 10 gWater (for the grains) 800 mlGround turmeric ¼ tspSalt ½ tsp

   medium heat→low heat

3. Make birista (fried onions): slice the onions evenly 2 mm thick and put them in a 22 cm pan with the oil on medium heat. Fry for 16 min, stirring. Once they turn light brown, stay at the stove and lift them out just before they reach a deep mahogany; spread on kitchen paper, as they keep darkening from their own heat. Keep the oil for other cooking.

   Add in this stepVegetable oil (for frying onions) 90 mlOnions 2

   medium heat

4. Melt two-fifths of the ghee in a heavy 22 cm pot on medium-high heat. Add the cinnamon, lightly cracked cardamom, cloves and bay leaves and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Add the crushed garlic and two-thirds of the grated ginger for 30 seconds, then the shank, Kashmiri chilli, the rest of the turmeric, the coriander and the rest of the salt, and sear for 10 min until deeply browned. Crumble in a handful of birista with the yogurt and cook for 2 minutes until the ghee separates.

   Add in this stepGhee 20 gCinnamon stick (5 cm) 1Green cardamom pods 3Cloves 3Bay leaves 1Garlic cloves 5Fresh ginger 14 gBone-in beef shank, cut 3–4 cm thick 440 gKashmiri chilli powder 1½ tspGround turmeric ¼ tspGround coriander 1½ tspSalt 1 tspPlain yogurt 80 g

   medium-high heat

5. Pour in the meat water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook very gently on low heat for 2 h 10 min, until the meat slides off the bone by itself. Lift out the bones and whole spices (scrape any marrow back into the pot) and shred the meat very finely with forks.

   Add in this stepWater (for the meat) 950 ml

   low heat

6. Pulse the grains with a stick blender in short bursts to a coarse porridge. Add the meat, its broth and half the garam masala and cook on low heat for 35 min, beating hard with a wooden spoon every 2–3 minutes (in Pakistan this is called ghotna). It is done when the meat fibres have vanished and the haleem stretches in strands when lifted on the spoon. Loosen with hot water if needed and season with salt.

   Add in this stepGaram masala 0.6 tsp

   low heat

7. Baghar (tempering): heat the rest of the ghee in a small pan on medium heat for 1 min, until it shimmers. Turn off the heat, then add the remaining garam masala and let it sizzle for 5 seconds. Always add the spice off the heat so it does not burn.

   Add in this stepGhee 20 gGaram masala 0.6 tsp

   medium heat

8. Ladle the haleem into bowls, pour over the hot baghar and pile on the rest of the birista, the remaining ginger in fine matchsticks, mint, coriander and green chillies. Squeeze over lemon as you eat.

   Add in this stepFresh ginger 6 gFresh mint leaves 5 gFresh coriander 5 gHot green chillies 1Lemon 1