Halim is a delicious and nutritious Mauritian dish of South Asian origin that is perfect for special occasions or as a comforting meal during colder months.
2tbsprice bran oilor other neutral-flavoured cooking oil
1tbspghee
2brown onionsdiced
750glamb shanks diced, (also known as zaret agno)
salt
1brown onion
5clovesgarlic
1thumbginger
1stickcinnamonapproximately 3 cm long
4cloves
½tsppeppercorns
2podscardamon
1.5lwater
125gbrown lentils(also known as lanti nwar)
125gmixture of chickpeas and red lentils
75gwheat flour
½tspsaffron strands
½tspchilli powder
coriander
mint leaves
1tspgaram masala
dried shallots
lemon juice
green chilli
Complete Recipe Steps
Heat the cooking oil and ghee in a small saucepan and brown the diced onion in the oil. Remove the onion pieces and set aside to use as a garnish later.
2 tbsp rice bran oil, 1 tbsp ghee, 2 brown onions
Rub salt into the lamb and fry the pieces of meat in the oil used to fry the onion.
750 g lamb shanks, salt
Using a mortar and pestle, grind one onion with the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns and cardamon to form a paste.
1 brown onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 thumb ginger, 1 stick cinnamon, 4 cloves, ½ tsp peppercorns, 2 pods cardamon
Add the paste to the pot with the lamb and mix well, allowing to cook for a further 8-10 minutes.
Place the lamb, water, brown lentils, chickpeas, red lentils, wheat flour (dissolved in a small amount of water), saffron and chilli powder into a pressure cooker and cook until the lentils are soft.
1.5 l water, 125 g brown lentils, 125 g mixture of chickpeas and red lentils, 75 g wheat flour, ½ tsp saffron strands, ½ tsp chilli powder
Let the pressure release from the pressure cooker naturally and then add the desired amount of coriander and mint leaves to the pot and stir through for a few minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add water, half a cup at a time, to loosen it.
coriander, mint leaves
Remove from the heat and sprinkle garam masala, dried shallots and the diced fried onions over the Halim.
1 tsp garam masala, dried shallots
Serve hot together with chopped green chilli and a squeeze of lemon juice.
lemon juice, green chilli
Notes
To save time, you can prepare the spice paste ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
You can also use a slow cooker to prepare this dish. Simply brown the lamb and onion in a frying pan before adding it to the slow cooker with the spice paste, lentils, wheat flour, and water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until the lentils and lamb are tender.
Halim is traditionally eaten with naan, but you can also serve it with rice or pita bread.