Beef Haleem Recipe (Degi Style from Asad Pakwan, Karachi)
Beef haleem is slow food at its best: beef cooked for hours in a spicy korma, three kinds of lentils and wheat boiled and blended, and everything beaten together until it turns smooth and stringy. We filmed this degi version at Asad Pakwan Center in North Nazimabad, Karachi, where it is made with 5 kg of beef and 5 kg of grains. Below are the exact deg quantities and a home batch one tenth the size.
Serves: 8–10 (home batch) | Soak: 6–8 hours | Cook: about 4–5 hours
Difficulty: Medium, mostly waiting and stirring | Best for: Muharram, Ramadan, winter dawats
Heat level: Medium to spicy
Watch the Beef Haleem Video
The full video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:
What Makes Degi Beef Haleem Different
Three lentils and wheat. Yellow split lentils give the body, chana dal adds texture, red lentils melt in, and wheat makes the haleem stretchy.
The beef is cooked as a korma first. It cooks for 3 hours in a red, spicy gravy. That gravy is saved and added back in stages while mixing, so the haleem keeps its colour and taste.
Blended lentils, beaten beef. The lentils are blended smooth, while the beef is shredded and beaten in with a wooden ghotna for about an hour. That long beating is what gives haleem its strings.
Mace and nutmeg at the end. A little mace and nutmeg powder with garam masala goes in near the finish for the classic haleem smell.
Ingredient Notes
- Wheat: use whole or broken wheat (daliya) and soak it with the lentils.
- Beef: boneless shoulder or shank is ideal. Bone-in pieces add flavour; remove the bones before shredding.
- Beef or mutton: the video says either works. Mutton cooks a little faster.
- Garnish: fried onion, julienne ginger and mint are the must-haves. Add lemon, green chillies and chaat masala at the table.
Beef Haleem Ingredients: Home Batch and Degi Batch
| Ingredient | Home batchserves 8–10 | Video degserves about 80 |
|---|---|---|
| Lentils and wheat (soak 6–8 hours) | ||
| Yellow split lentils | 200 g | 2 kg |
| Chana dal (split gram) | 50 g | 500 g |
| Red lentils (masoor) | 50 g | 500 g |
| Wheat | 200 g | 2 kg |
| Water to boil | 1.2–1.5 litres | 12–15 litres |
| Turmeric (for the lentils) | 1 tsp | 3–4 tbsp |
| Beef korma | ||
| Beef, large pieces | 500 g | 5 kg (250–300 g pieces) |
| Cooking oil | ¼ cup | 500 ml |
| Ginger garlic paste | ½ tbsp + 1 tsp | 4–5 tbsp + 50 g |
| Yogurt | 3 tbsp | 500 g |
| Red chilli powder | 1 tbsp | 70–80 g |
| Turmeric | ½ tsp | 20 g |
| Garam masala | ½ tsp | 10 g |
| Coriander seeds, crushed | 1 tsp | 20 g |
| Green chilli paste | 1 tsp | 50 g |
| Salt | to taste | to taste |
| Water | 1.2–1.3 litres | 12–13 litres |
| Finishing | ||
| Mace and nutmeg powder | ¼ tsp each | 10 g each |
| Garam masala | ½ tsp | 10 g |
| Food colour in water | a pinch in 1 tbsp | in ½ cup |
| Fried onion, julienne ginger, mint | to garnish | to garnish |
The video column is exactly what the captions say. We scaled it to one tenth for the home batch and rounded to kitchen spoons.
Step-by-Step: How Degi Beef Haleem Is Made
1. Soak the lentils and wheat
Wash the yellow lentils, chana dal, red lentils and wheat and soak them in water for 6 to 8 hours.
2. Start the beef korma
Cut the beef into large pieces. Heat the oil, add the first ginger garlic paste and the yogurt, and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef and fry on high flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add the spices, then water, and cook for 3 hours
Add the red chilli, turmeric, garam masala, crushed coriander, the rest of the ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and salt. Cook on high for 5 minutes, add the water, bring to a boil, then cook on a low flame for about 3 hours.
4. Boil and blend the lentils
Bring fresh water to a boil with turmeric, add the drained lentils and wheat, and cook for about 1 hour on medium to low flame. Let it cool for an hour, then blend smooth.
5. Separate the beef from its gravy
Lift the beef out of the korma and shred it. Keep the red gravy and the oil that rises to the top; both go back in later.
6. Mix everything together
Combine the blended lentils and shredded beef with part of the gravy and beat with a ghotna or wooden spoon. The video mixes for about an hour, adding gravy oil, food colour, mace, nutmeg, garam masala and salt along the way, then the last of the gravy for another 30 minutes. At home, 20 to 30 minutes of beating is usually enough.
7. Garnish and serve
Serve hot, topped with fried onion, julienne ginger and mint.
The Complete Beef Haleem Recipe
Degi Beef Haleem (Asad Pakwan)
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the lentils and wheat for 6 to 8 hours.
- Heat the oil, add the ginger garlic paste and yogurt and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beef and fry on high for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the spices, remaining ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and salt. Cook 5 minutes, add the water and cook on low for about 3 hours.
- Boil the drained lentils and wheat with turmeric for 1 hour. Cool and blend smooth.
- Lift out the beef and shred it; keep the gravy and its oil.
- Beat the lentils, beef and gravy together, adding the gravy oil, food colour, mace, nutmeg, garam masala and salt, until smooth and stringy.
- Serve with fried onion, ginger and mint.
Video
Notes
Beef Haleem Problems and How to Fix Them
- No strings: the beef was not cooked long enough, or not beaten enough. Keep beating on a low flame.
- Too thick: add hot water or more beef gravy and keep stirring.
- Sticks to the bottom: haleem burns easily. Stir from the bottom and keep the flame low.
Serving and Storing Beef Haleem
Serve with naan, lemon wedges and green chillies. Haleem keeps for 3 days in the fridge and freezes well for a month. Reheat with a splash of water, stirring well.
Beef Haleem FAQs
Which lentils go into haleem?
This recipe uses yellow split lentils, chana dal and red lentils, plus wheat.
How long do the lentils need to soak?
6 to 8 hours, as in the video.
Can I use a pressure cooker for the beef?
Yes. Cook the korma for 45 to 60 minutes under pressure instead of 3 hours on the stove, then shred.
Can I make haleem with mutton?
Yes. The video says beef or mutton; use the same quantities.
