Haleem

Directions

1. 1
   Slice the onions with a mandolin. In a large pot, fry three of the onions over high heat in canola oil until brown; set the onions aside. These are to be used to garnish the haleem before serving.
2. 2
   In the same pot, fry the last onion in the remaining oil until golden. Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 2 minutes over high heat. In the meanwhile, in a separate pot boil the water.
3. 3
   In the pot with onions, mix in the haleem masala and chicken. Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Add in tomatoes and cover for 3-5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften.
4. 4
   To the pot of chicken, stir in the oats and barley and transfer the boiling water. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over high heat, or until the stew boils vigorously. Stir periodically to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. 5
   Transfer the haleem to the middle rack in the oven set to 350 F for 3 hours (or 250 F overnight), or to a slow cooker set to low for 3 hours. Periodically stir the haleem every 30 minutes if only cooking for 3 hours.
6. 6
   Check the haleem for salt and thickness. Add in 1/4 - 1 tsp more of salt if necessary. To thicken, stir the mixture over high heat to allow more water to evaporate.
7. 7
   Garnish with the fried onion, cilantro, chopped chilies, julienned ginger slices, and lime/lemon juice. Traditionally served by itself or with naan.