How to Make Vegetarian Haleem

Vegetarian Haleem is a tasty and healthy dish prepared using lentils, grains, and spices. It has the same creamy texture and rich taste as regular Haleem, thus making it a great choice for vegetarians.

Mar 14, 2025 - 11:23
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How to Make Vegetarian Haleem
Vegetarian Haleem
Prep Time 35 min
Cook Time 180 min
Serving 6
Difficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 cup broken wheat (dalia/bulgar wheat) (soaked for 2 hours)
  • ½ cup chana dal (split Bengal gram)
  • ¼ cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
  • ¼ cup masoor dal (red lentils)
  • ¼ cup toor dal (pigeon peas)
  • ¼ cup urad dal (black gram split)
  • ¼ cup rice
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
  • 2 large onions (finely sliced)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 3-4 green chilies (chopped)
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
  • 2 tablespoons fried onions
  • 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons ghee
  • 10-12 cashew nuts (optional)

Directions

Step 1: Cooking the Grains and Lentils 

1. Wash and soak the broken wheat, lentils, and rice for at least 2 hours.  

2. In a large pot, add the soaked grains, lentils, and rice with 6 cups of water.  

3. Cook on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and mushy. For faster cooking, you can also pressure cook for 6-7 whistles.  

4. Once cooked, blend the mixture using a hand blender until it becomes a thick, smooth paste. Set aside.

Step 2: Preparing the Masala Base

1. Heat ghee or oil in a large pan and fry the sliced onions until golden brown. Remove half of them for garnishing.  

2. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute.  

3. Add green chilies and cook for another minute.  

4. Stir in tomato puree, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, and black pepper powder.  

5. Cook the masala until oil separates from the mixture. 

Step 3: Combining Everything

1. Add the blended lentil and grain mixture to the prepared masala.  

2. Mix well and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring frequently.  

3. Add garam masala and adjust salt and spice levels as needed.  

4. Pour in ghee and continue stirring until the haleem achieves a thick and creamy consistency. 

Step 4: Garnishing & Serving

1. In a small pan, heat ghee and fry cashew nuts (optional).  

2. Pour it over the haleem and mix well.  

3. Garnish with fried onions, coriander, mint leaves, and lemon juice.

4. Serve hot with naan, roti, or as a wholesome one-pot meal.