James Dickinson photo
Haleem (Lentil curry soup with braised beef, crispy onions, ginger and cilantro sprouts) Christine Wansleben of the Mise en Place Cooking School provided this recipe for a traditional Bangladeshi/Indian soup, full of flavor and spice, that is often made during Ramadan. "For Zest Fest, we are going to cook the beef separately so vegetarians can enjoy it too," she says. Ingredients
- 2 pounds of beef short ribs (bone in)
- 2 cups of ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 medium onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup of barley
- 1/2 cup of dal chana (split yellow gram)
- 1/2 to 1 packet of haleem masala mix (red chili, turmeric, curry leaf and other Indian spices)
- Fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
- Baby cilantro
Directions Soak the barley and dal chana for two hours. Heat 1/2 cup ghee in large saucepan, add the short ribs and sear on all sides. Add the spice mixture and stir until the meat is well coated. Add three quarts of water to the pan and stir. Add the barley and dal to the pan. Cover and cook on low for four to six hours or until the meat is soft and tender. Stir occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and separate the meat and bones from the soup. Discard the bones, shred the meat and set it aside. Strain the grains from the soup and pulse in a blender, but do not overblend. Combine the blended grains and broth together. Heat the remaining ghee in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and fry until golden. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with shredded meat, fried onions, ginger and cilantro.
