Looking for a quick and easy chicken haleem recipe? Well, you’re in the right place! If you know me, you know I love to keep things fast, simple, and clean in the kitchen.
This recipe hack will be your new favorite way to whip up this otherwise complex dish on weeknights because it comes together in under an hour without sacrificing flavor! Plus, it’s meal prep friendly too!
What is haleem
Traditionally Haleem is a slow-cooked stew made with meat (beef or mutton), grains (wheat and or barley), and lentils. It is often on the menu during Ramadan, dinner parties, and weddings. Speaking of party food, Khao Suey and Masala Lamb Chops are other fancy recipes to try!
Although it has Persian roots, Haleem has evolved into different variations globally. In Pakistan and India, there is yet another variation called khichra where the meat is left in chunks rather than shredded.
Because I eat a gluten-free diet, traditional Haleem has had to go but not anymore! I created this recipe so that not only is it gluten-free, but also quick enough to grace your weeknight dinner table.
Ingredients & substitutions
Chicken stock: I batch-make yakhni/broth and usually have some ready in the freezer. You can get store-bought stock but adjust the salt or get the low-sodium.
Rolled oats: Rolled oats are best because they don’t take very long to cook yet give a good texture to the haleem. Many recipes call for rice but we are keeping it low-carb.
Toor dal (split yellow pigeon pea lentil): Also known as Arhar daal. Again, a quicker lentil to cook. It does need to be presoaked overnight or at least an hour before cooking. Make sure to wash the lentils thoroughly before adding them to the stock.
Tomatoes and green chili: Processed together and added for quick cooking.
Spices: Garam masala, red chili powder, and salt.
Boiled chicken: I have some on hand from when I make yakhni.
Onion: Sliced thin for the tadka or tempering.
Garnish: lemon, ginger, cilantro, and a sprinkle of my homemade roasted cumin-coriander masala that I bulk prep (recipe below) and garnish most of my curries with. You can sub with chaat masala too.
Roasted Cumin-Coriander Masala
1 cup roasted cumin seeds
1 cup roasted coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
Grind all of these together till are in powder form. Store in an airtight container and use to garnish your curries and other Pakistani dishes for that extra oomph!
How to make Haleem easy and quick
This is a much faster way to make a dish that is usually cooked for hours and even overnight in some homes but that just means you need to have many of the ingredients prepped ahead and use those that cook faster, like:
- Make it with chicken instead of the traditional beef or mutton.
- Cook with rolled oats and toor daal instead of tougher grains like cracked wheat and channa daal.
- Have stock/yakhni/broth ready to go. I have a great recipe for yakhni you can check out!
How to make chicken haleem
Heat the stock. Begin by pouring the yakhni into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Have the stove on at medium-high heat. While the stock is heating, crush the tomatoes and green chili in a food processor and add that to the pot.
Add the soaked oats and lentils. Thoroughly wash the toor daal and the rolled oats. Then add the spices and cover the pot. Lower the heat to medium and let everything cook together for about 30 minutes.
Make the onion tadka. While the haleem is cooking, fry the onion until golden. This should take about 10 minutes or so.
Prepare the boiled chicken. Debone and chop up some boiled chicken. I usually freeze some from when I make yakhni.
Prepare the garnish. Cut up the green chili, cilantro, and lemon into wedges.
Some helpful tips
- The cooking will go much faster if you have everything mise en place (ready and prepped in one place)
- Use an immersion blender before adding the chicken to smooth out the haleem.
Storage
Store in an airtight container (2-4 servings per container, depending on the size of your family) and thaw on the countertop for 30 minutes before heating in a saucepan.
What to eat with chicken haleem
Traditionally haleem is eaten with naan and at dinner parties, it is usually supplemented with samosas. You can serve it with a small salad to keep it low-carb.
If you liked this recipe, then I’m sure you’ll love these other Pakistani favorites:
If you try this recipe I’d really appreciate you rating it below! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. And if you take a pic, tag me on Instagram @eatdrinkure, I love seeing your creations!
This recipe was originally posted in March 2023 and has been updated with detailed instructions to help make it even easier for you to make.
Quick and Easy Chicken Haleem
Equipment
Ingredients
For the haleem
- 5 cups chicken broth yakhni
- 1 cup split yellow pigeon peas also known as Toor, Arhar
- 1 cup rolled oats See note
- 2 medium tomatoes I use Roma
- 1 small green chili I use Serrano
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped boiled chicken
For the tempering
- 1 medium onion sliced thin
- 3 tablespoon oil
For the garnish
- 1 handful cilantro chopped
- 1 inch knob ginger peeled and sliced thin
- 1/2 green chili chopped
- 1 lemon cut into quarters
- chaat masala/roasted cumin coriander masala See recipe above
Instructions
For the Haleem
- Wash and soak toor daal over night or at least 30 minutes.
- Begin by pouring the yakhni into a large stock pot or dutch oven. Have the stove on at medium high heat. While the stock is heating, crush the tomatoes and green chili in a food processor and add that to the pot.
- Next, add the soaked and thoroughly washed toor daal, the rolled oats, and the spices and cover the pot. Lower the heat to medium and let everything cook together for about 30 minutes.
For the tempering/tadka
- While the haleem is cooking, fry the onion until golden. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Prepare the boiled chicken by deboning the cooked chicken and chopping it up.
- After 30 minutes are up, remove the lid from the pot and increase the heat to medium high. You should see the stickiness from the oats and everything should have cooked through. If the lentil still has a bite to it, let cook covered for another 10-15 minutes.
- At this point you can use an immersion blender to smooth out the haleem if you wish and then add the chicken.
- Give everything a good stir and then add the fried onions along with the tempered oil.
- Garnish with the roasted cumin – coriander masala, chopped cilantro, and green chili. Drizzle lemon juice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
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- The nutrition information is an estimate calculated on an online calculator. Please do your due diligence if you are watching your nutrients.
- If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your rolled oats are gluten-free as oats can be cross-contaminated.
- The cooking will go much faster if you have everything mise en place (ready and prepped in one place)
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- Use an immersion blender before adding the chicken to smooth out the haleem.
I just loved the haleem recipe as it is a very healthy substitute!!! Tastes delicious 😋
Thanks so much for taking out the time to leave a review Talat. So glad you enjoyed it!