The Freaky Ancient Grain: Freekeh
This is a love letter to Freekeh.
Freekeh is my most favorite dish (second to Mlukhiyya) EVER! I cannot articulate in words the happiness and love that this dish brings to my soul. It is hearty, nutritious, and oh so delicious!!
Freekeh is a middle eastern dish made of immature, cereal durum wheat grains, which are green in colour. Freekeh comes from the Arabic word, “to rub”, in reference to how it is prepared (see how it is roasted here). This ancient grain is full of vitamins, minerals and health affirming nutrients. It dates back to over 2000 years old and its origins belong to the Levant region of the middle east (i.e. Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine).
When cooked to a “crack” (as the wheat germ cracks open when cooked), It has a nutty flavour and is chewy in texture (as you would imagine a hearty grain to be). The below particular recipe features the freekeh cooked in wholesome chicken/meat (with-bone) broth resulting in a rich and filling pilaf dish. It is a hearty meal and one that fills more than bellies, it fills the soul. Its roasted flavour is unique, and unlike any other dish I can think of.
Freekeh has a low glycemic index and is a fibre-rich, ancient grain which slows down glucose absorption into the blood, resulting in making you full for a longer time, and can be great for folks with diabetes/blood sugar regulating concerns. It contains four times the fibre found in brown rice, is a good source of protein, iron, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, & B Vitamins. It retains more nutrients than any other grain (see here).
Growing up, my father would call this dish “the freaky freekeh dish”, but there is really nothing freaky about it, other than the wild combination of special and distinct flavours. Many Levantian foods use a key ingredient to provide this distinction in flavour: Sebaa Baharat, translated as, “seven spices”. Sebaa Baharat refers to a blend of spices used in most middle eastern dishes. It is comprised of a mix of equal parts of the following spices:
Cumin
Paprika
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Clove
Black pepper
Coriander
Nutmeg
You can find pre-blended 7 spice mix at most ethnic stores (#supportlocal) at a very affordable price. No need to limit this blend’s use to this dish, try a dash over some fried eggs, or lentils, or meats, its so yummy!
^v^v^v^
This recipe is a traditional Syrian recipe that has been passed down from my great grandmother all the way to my mother, and to me. When speaking with my Naanaa (maternal grandmother), she shared with me that this dish is a special dish that was consumed during a special occasion such as the birth of a baby, or the marking of the lunar calendar (Islamic new year), end of Ramadan (Islamic sacred month of spiritual/physical development). Its richness in ingredients, preparation and consumption embrace the heart and stomach warmly and makes for a filling meal. Naanaa also shared with me that the traditional protein to this dish is in fact goat meat. Though, I prefer chicken, and that how it was cooked in my home by my mother growing up.
“Everything is learning” - Naanaa on cooking
Food plays a special role in my life, and sharing these teachings, pearls of wisdoms and recipes results in more than simply another meal for us to eat; sharing these recipes is sharing love and the love of food, our ancestors, and our collective human histories. It opens our eyes to peer through a window of our origins and serves as a lifelong access point to our family’s past.
The dish is prepared in layers (as seen in the image above); cooked, and fluffy basmati rice, cooked freekeh, shredded chicken, and roasted nuts. The freekeh itself is prepared very similarly to rice, using the same ratio of water: grain (1:1 - as long as hot water is used).
Recipe:
Prep time: 30 min
Cooking time : 45 min
Total time: 1 hour , 15 min
Yield: 6-8 servings
** Important note: Because freekeh is a wheat grain, you will have to sort through the grains in advance to pick out any tiny rocks, or other debris. It is pretty much impossible to find a pre-cleaned bag of freekeh anywhere. This takes usually about 25 min outside of cooking/prep time Ensure that this step is done before any of the following steps.**
Ingredients:
Ingredients for Broth:
6 pieces Bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
10-12 cups Warm water
2 Cardamom pods
3 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Salt
Ingredients for Freekeh:
2 cups Freekeh (cleaned and sorted well)
2 tblsp Ghee (clarified butter)
2 tblsp Olive oil
1 small Onion (diced finely)
1-2 tsp 7 spices (arabic pepper)
4 cups Broth (made from ingredients listed above)
Ingredients for Rice:
1 cup Basmati rice
2 cups Broth (made from ingredients listed above)
Ingredients for Garnish:
1 cup Toasted nuts (pine nuts, almonds, walnuts work best, or a combination of all three)
Directions:
Start by making the Chicken Broth and Pulled Chicken:
To a large pot, add 10-12 cups of water, 3 cardamom pods, 3 cloves, 2 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and a teaspoon of salt to a boil.
Once the water has been brought to a rolling boil, add your six chicken thighs to the water and boil well until about 2 cups of water has reduced, and the chicken is fully cooked. (~15 min). (feel free to start the next section’s steps while the chicken boils)
Strain the broth and set aside in a large measuring cup. Using two forks, pull apart the chicken meat from the bone. Set the pulled chicken aside
Freekeh:
In a wide mouthed, large pot, add your ghee (clarified butter), and olive oil.
Add your diced onion and cook until the onions are soft (be careful to not fry the onions to a crisp, it is intended to be soft in texture to not overpower the freekeh).
To the pot with the onions, add in your sorted freekeh and stir to coat the wheat in the oils and onion. Stir well for about 5 min on med-high heat. (try not to burn the freekeh, rather toast it to a sizzle).
Once the freekeh has toasted evenly for about 5 min, gently add 4 cups of the strained chicken broth to the pot. (at this stage, you will be adding hot liquid to an already hot pot, this will cause some steam. I recommend using a pot lid for this stage to help deflect some steam away from yourself. You want to do this step slowly. Stir well.
As soon as the broth begins to boil with the freekeh, level out the freekeh in the pot, turn the stove setting to Minimum (lowest setting), place the lid on the pot, and set aside for 15-20 min undisturbed until freekeh has fully cooked.
After 15-20 min, gently open the pot to check to see if there is any remaining broth. If there is, close the lid and leave for another 5 min or so. If not, then turn the stove off, gently stir the contents of the pot, and put back the lid. Your freekeh is ready.
Because we will be cooking the freekeh in boiled broth, it requires a 1:2 freekeh to water ratio respectfully. In the case that you cooked freekeh from cold/lukewarm water, you may need to adjust the ratio to include more water.
Basmati Rice
In a rice cooker (stovetop, or instant pot - however you usually make rice will work great), add 1 tblsp ghee, 1 cup of basmati rice, 2 cups of the strained chicken broth, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, and 1 bay leaf.
Cook, and set aside for the presentation stage.
How to Blanch Almonds:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Add ¾ cup of raw almonds and boil for 10-15 min
Test peeling one of the almonds by placing it in a cold glass of water. The skin of the almond should peel off easily upon applying some pressure. (If it doesn’t, boil for another 5 min).
Strain the rest of the almonds and quickly put them in a bowl of ice cold water. This will blanche the skin off. After letting them cool in the water for a couple of minutes, begin to remove and discard the skin of the almond.
Pat dry the blanched almonds with a paper towel, and set aside to roast them.
Garnish: Roasted nuts and chicken
In a heated pan, place one teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter), and melt
To the same pan, re-add a tablespoon of ghee, melt, and add ¾ of a cup of blanched nuts (pine, almonds, walnuts, or a combination of all three)
Toast well until they achieve a darkness is colour and fragrant
Stir often to prevent burning the nuts
Remove from heat, and place into a side dish/bowl for garnish when plating
Serving:
In a wide serving dish/pyrex dish out your cooked rice as the base layer and gently spread into an even layer
Next, dish out the cooked freekeh as the second layer and gently spread into an even layer, being sure to not press too hard so to crush the freekeh and rice beneath.
Next, spread the pulled chicken over the freekeh (centering the chicken so the freekeh is still visible - “people eat with their eyes”, says my nana). Sprinkle a pinch or two of arabic pepper (7 spices mix) to the top.
Finally, generously sprinkle atop the chicken, the roasted nuts.
Voila! Serve alongside yogurt or salad!
Simple Yogurt Side Dish:
½ cup Plain/greek yogurt
1 cup Ice cold water
1 tblsp Dried mint
¼ tsp Garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic)
Pinch Salt
DirectioNs
Begin by gently whisking the water with the yogurt using a fork
Once the yogurt and water are an even texture, add the mint, garlic, and salt and mix well
Serve cold as a side dish to the Freekeh.
Sahteyn!
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Research: Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4Green wheat photo by thomas vermeersch on UnsplashAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics