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Jareesh
Cracked wheat with yogurt
Jareesh (جريش): Najdi cracked wheat with laban and a sizzling onion-ghee topping
Across Najd and Qassim, jareesh is comfort food for cold desert evenings and a fixture of Ramadan tables in Riyadh: coarsely cracked wheat cooked slowly until it collapses into a soft, porridge-like mass, then loosened with laban and crowned with onions fried in ghee and cumin. Many families cook it in chicken stock with pieces of meat; this version uses water or vegetable stock and is fully vegetarian. The texture should be creamy but still a little nubbly, with a gentle tang from the yogurt. The most common mistake is adding the laban over a high heat, which splits it into grainy curds; stir it in off the boil. Serve it with daqqus and a green salad. Chef's tip: soak the wheat first and skim the starchy foam during the first boil for a cleaner, smoother result.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the wheat
- 10 ½ oz jareesh (coarsely cracked wheat)
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock or water
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 dried black limepierced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 ¾ cups laban or thin natural yogurt
- ¾ cup whole milk
For the topping
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz jareesh (coarsely cracked wheat) in several changes of water until it runs clearer, then soak it in fresh water for 30 minutes and drain.
30 minStep 2: Put the wheat, 1.5 litres vegetable stock or water, 1 onion and 1 dried black lime in a heavy pot and bring to the boil. Skim off the grey foam that rises.
10 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt, cover with the lid ajar and simmer on a low heat, stirring every 10 minutes so it doesn't catch, until the grains are very soft and the mixture is thick, about 60 minutes. Add hot water if it gets too stiff.
60 minStep 4: Take out the lime. Beat the wheat hard with a wooden spoon for a minute to make it creamier.
Step 5: Take the pot off the heat, then stir in 1 ¾ cups laban or thin natural yogurt and ¾ cup whole milk until smooth. Warm it over the lowest heat for 2–3 minutes without letting it bubble.
3 minStep 6: For the topping, heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion until deep golden, 10–12 minutes. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes for the last 30 seconds.
12 minStep 7: Spoon the jareesh into a wide dish and pour the sizzling onion ghee over the top. Serve hot.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jareesh take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of dried black lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
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