🇮🇷 Iranian/Persian Cuisine

حلیم

Wheat and Lamb Porridge

Prep Time 15 min + soaking
Servings 8
Difficulty Hard
Calories 418 kcal

A thick, silky porridge of slow-cooked wheat and shredded lamb beaten together until creamy, served with cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter for breakfast.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat berries, soaked overnight
  • 500g boneless lamb shoulder
  • 1 large onion, quartered
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • Salt
  • Melted butter for serving
  • Sugar and cinnamon for garnish

Instructions

  1. 1 Drain soaked wheat. Add to a large pot with lamb, onion, turmeric, and water to cover by 5 cm.
  2. 2 Bring to a boil, skim foam, then simmer on very low heat for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. 3 When wheat is completely broken down and lamb falls apart, beat vigorously with a wooden paddle until smooth and porridge-like.
  4. 4 Add more water if too thick — consistency should be like thick porridge. Season with salt.
  5. 5 Serve in bowls drizzled with melted butter, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

Did You Know?

Halim shops open before dawn during Ramadan, and the line for fresh halim at suhoor (pre-dawn meal) stretches around the block in many Iranian cities.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/iranian-persian/halim/