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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
20/02/2026
Unlike the average North Indian paratha, Tamil Nadu's version of this bread is very different; it is a multi-layered and flaky flatbread that uses refined flour and extreme amounts of gluten content to create its unique texture through methods of craft.
In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, parotta is recognised as separate from the average North Indian-style paratha due to the fact that it can be made using maida, water, oil or ghee, and possibly eggs; also, it has a very different technique involved in preparing it.
In addition, while North Indian-style parathas rely heavily upon rolling or stuffing the dough as a way to create layers, South Indian parottas primarily use the amount of gluten present in the finished product, along with folding and coiling together to create layers. In other words, by creating the layers using methods such as these, the finished product will have a very crispy outside and soft layers inside.
The journey of parottas to Tamil Nadu has been intertwined with migration and trading routes as well as with the exchange of food between coastal Indian states. Although there is a connection between the North Indian word "paratha" and the South Indian version of the food, parottas have developed their individuality in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As parottas gained in popularity throughout Tamil Nadu, they became a staple of roadside eateries where patrons could watch the establishment's owners stretch the dough in a very theatrical fashion. What originally began as bread that had been adopted by a culture transformed into an identity marker for a specific region.
Haleem and harees may look similar, but they are built on very different cooking techniques. Harees is a thick, grainy porridge in which wheat and meat are cooked until soft, then lightly mashed. Haleem, on the other hand, is about elasticity and smoothness. Its signature texture comes from hours of manual pounding with a heavy wooden ghotna, which completely breaks down meat fibres. As the holy month of Ramadan begins, this article explains the real difference between the two dishes and why haleem cannot be recreated using shortcuts like pressure cookers. Dive deeper to know more.
During Ramadan, haleem and harees are often prepared for iftar. Both dishes are slow-cooked, made with wheat and meat, and carry deep cultural importance. However, their final textures tell two very different stories. Harees focuses on comfort and simplicity, while Haleem is about transformation through cooking technique.
The difference does not lie in ingredients but in what happens after cooking. Harees stops after turning soft. Haleem goes much further, turning cooked grains and meat into a unified, velvety dish through physical effort. Read this article to understand this difference, which helps explain why true Haleem requires time, patience, and labour rather than just heat.
Harees is a rustic dish in which wheat is cooked until it becomes soft and the meat becomes tender enough to shred. Once cooked, the mixture is gently mashed to combine the ingredients while still retaining their texture and identity. It should be cooked to an extent that you can feel the grains on your tongue, and the meat remains in soft strands. The texture of Harees is dense and spoonable, similar to a porridge. Harees is filling, comforting, and straightforward. Pressure cookers work well for harees because the dish needs to be tender, not break down. Once the grains and meat are soft, Harees is ready.
The preparation of haleem begins similarly, but it does not end there. The defining feature of haleem is its smooth, glossy, and slightly stretchy consistency. This texture is achieved when the grains and meat lose their individual structure completely. In haleem, the wheat releases starch slowly, while the meat fibres are broken down until they dissolve into the mixture. This makes the dish not only thick but also elastic. When you stir or lift it with a spoon, haleem should flow back into the pot rather than sit heavily.
The heart of haleem-making is in the ghotna, which is a heavy wooden masher designed for long hours of pounding. This step is not optional. It is what turns cooked ingredients into haleem. Continuous pounding breaks meat fibres into microscopic strands while mixing fat, protein, and starch into one smooth mass. This physical action creates the signature velvety texture and stretch that haleem is known for. Boiling alone cannot give this effect to haleem.
Pressure cookers can soften grains and meat, but they cannot create elasticity. Friction, repetition, and movement are needed for haleem. Without pounding, the dish remains thick but grainy, which is closer to harees in texture. This is why haleem made entirely in a pressure cooker often tastes good but feels different. It lacks the silkiness and pull that define the dish. The ghotna does what appliances cannot: it transforms texture by hand.
The simplest way to tell haleem and harees apart is by watching how they move when you take them in a spoon. Harees drops off the spoon in a lump. Haleem, on the other hand, stretches slightly and settles smoothly. Both dishes are valuable, especially during the fasting month of Ramadan, but they serve different purposes. Harees is more about comforting the body, while haleem emphasises skill, patience, and technique. As the holy month of Ramadan 2026 begins, set aside some time to cook both dishes for iftar and notice the differences while cooking and savouring!
