Vegan Haleem

5 from 3 votes

A vegan recipe for haleem, a delicious, porridge-like stew of lentils and vegetables, eaten during the holy month of Ramadan.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 276kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Equipment

Bowls
Large Dutch Oven (or pot with lid)

Ingredients

Lentils and grains

2 tablespoons chana dal
2 tablespoons masoor dal
2 tablespoons moong dal
2 tablespoons urad dal
2 tablespoons quinoa

Vegetables

2 large onions (thinly sliced)
1 large eggplant (cut into thin strips, 1 inch long and ¼ inch wide)
20 oz jackfruit (canned, cut into smaller pieces)

Vegetable marinade ingredients

¼ cup vegan yogurt
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
2 green chili peppers (like jalapeno. Deseed if sensitive to heat. Chop finely)
1 teaspoon cayenne (or any red chilli powder. You can skip since we already have green chili peppers)
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

Other ingredients

4 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus more for frying onions)
10 cloves
10 green cardamom pods
2 1-inch pieces cinnamon bark
2-3 bay leaves
2 tablespoons raw cashews
2 tablespoons almonds (about 8-10)
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves, crushed in your palms to release the aroma)
6 cups mushroom stock
1 tablespoon garam masala (optional)
Salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Fry the onions

Heat enough oil to form a ¼ inch layer in the pot or Dutch oven. Add the thinly sliced onions to the pot along with a generous pinch of salt. Sauté the onions until they are a rich golden-brown. Stir frequently so the onions don't burn. Remove the onions to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.
In the same oil, fry the whole spices: green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves for a minute. Fish them out or strain them out and place them in a bowl or plate to cool.

Soak and blend the lentils

Place the four lentils and quinoa in a bowl. Add enough water to cover the lentils by an inch. Set aside to soak for at least an hour or preferably two hours.
Strain the lentils and quinoa and place them in a blender along with the cashews, almonds, fried spices and half the fried onions. Add 1 cup mushroom stock and blend to a smooth paste. Reserve the remaining fried onions for garnish later.

Marinate the vegetables

Place the jackfruit and eggplant in a bowl. Add the vegan yogurt, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, ginger garlic paste and salt. Mix the marinade ingredients with the veggies and set aside.

Make haleem

Pour out most of the oil in the Dutch oven you fried the onions in, leaving behind just two tablespoons. Add the marinated vegetables to the oil and sauté them for a couple of minutes. Cover the pot with a lid, adjust heat to the lowest level on your stove, and let the vegetables cook for about 8-10 minutes or until they are quite tender. Stir frequently to make sure the vegetables don't stick too much to the bottom of the pot.
Add the lentil paste to the vegetables and mix it in. Add the remaining five cups of mushroom stock and mix everything well.
Stir in the tomato paste and mix it in.
Mix in the cilantro and kasoori methi. Bring to a boil, then cover the haleem, adjust heat to low, and let the haleem cook for an hour. You don't need to stir constantly but check a couple of times during cooking to make sure the lentils don't sink to the bottom of the pot and stick.
After an hour the haleem should have reduced quite a bit and thickened with some oil rising to the top. At this point use a wooden ladle or a masher to mash the vegetables in the pot. They should be very tender at this point and should mash easily. You can add a couple of tablespoons more of the oil you fried the onions in if you wish, to add more flavor. Continue mashing for a few minutes until the haleem becomes very thick and acquires a sheen on top. It should take about 15 minutes.
Stir in the garam masala and mix well. Check for salt and add more as needed. Garnish the haleem with the remaining fried onions and, if you wish, with some lightly fried cashews and more cilantro before serving.

Nutrition