Vegetable haleem

Name: Vegetable haleem
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2½ tbs cracked wheat; 100g (½ cup) pearl barley; 100g soya nuggets or 100g frozen tempeh, thawed and chopped into 2cm cubes; 2 tbs rice-bran oil; 2 tbs ghee; 2 onions, finely chopped; 1 tbs finely chopped garlic; 1 tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp chilli powder; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 3 dried figs, chopped; 2 dried apricots, chopped; 260g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt; 3 tbs almond meal; Pinch of ground cloves; 2 tsp (or to taste) Kashmiri chilli powder, or other chilli powder; 2 tbs finely chopped mint; 2 tbs finely chopped coriander; Juice of 1 lemon; 2 tbs fried onion; Coriander sprigs, steamed rice and bread, to serve

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by Peter Kuruvita

Sep 19, 2018

“The traditional Afghani haleem is made with mutton, but here it’s replaced with soya nuggets or tempeh and extra vegetables. Tempeh is notorious for not being able to absorb any kind of marinade because it’s so dense. The secret is to freeze it first. It won’t affect the quality, but will sure make it taste better!” - Peter Kuruvita. This is an edited extract from Lands of the Curry Leaf by Peter Kuruvita and photography by Alan Benson (Murdoch Books, $49.99).

2½ tbs cracked wheat
100g (½ cup) pearl barley
100g soya nuggets or 100g frozen tempeh, thawed and chopped into 2cm cubes
2 tbs rice-bran oil
2 tbs ghee
2 onions, finely chopped
1 tbs finely chopped garlic
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
3 dried figs, chopped
2 dried apricots, chopped
260g (1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
3 tbs almond meal
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tsp (or to taste) Kashmiri chilli powder, or other chilli powder
2 tbs finely chopped mint
2 tbs finely chopped coriander
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs fried onion
Coriander sprigs, steamed rice and bread, to serve

Method

1.

Soak cracked wheat and barley in a bowl of water for 1 hour. If using soya nuggets, soak them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes until they expand. Drain, then grind in a blender to large crumbs.
2.

Heat oil and ghee in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent.
3.

Stir in the turmeric, chilli powder, ground coriander, cumin and cinnamon, mixing well.
4.

Drain the wheat and barley and add them to the pan, along with the ground soya nuggets or the tempeh. Stir well and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the protein is thoroughly coated in the spices. Add the dried figs and apricots.
5.

Pour in enough water to cover the mixture and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the grains are tender.
6.

Remove the lid and add the yoghurt, almond meal, cloves, Kashmiri chilli powder, mint, coriander and lemon juice, and mix well.
7.

Bring back to the boil and season to taste. Garnish with fried onion and coriander sprigs and serve with rice or bread of your choice.