Vegetarian

Jareesh recipe: nourishing vegetable and wheat casserole

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Kuwaiti food writer, Sarah Al Hamad, grew up with the vibrant flavours of traditional Arabian cooking. Here she shares a heavenly feast for the senses, with a Jareesh recipe guaranteed to be a sure-fire success at your next dinner party.

Jareesh, commonly referred to as cracked or crushed wheat, is a key grain in the culinary traditions of Saudi Arabian and Middle Eastern cuisine. This dish, sharing its name with the grain, involves simmering the wheat and resulting in a dish reminiscent of a creamy stew with a grainy base.

The great thing about this dish is that it’s teeming with vegetables. It’s a simple and tasty way to add more plants into your diet. Plus, research shows that eating more plants can be beneficial for alleviating menopausal symptoms. One recent study reports that eating more plants can help to reduce symptoms including hot flushes.

This dish tastes delicious on its own, but does go exceedingly well with a slice of crusty sourdough. Full of wellbeing wins, sourdough is naturally fermented. This means that the tough outer shell of the grain is broken down before we eat it. This makes it easier to absorb and is gentler on our gut. Want to make your own? Read our sourdough starter recipe here.

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Ingredients

  • 400g bulgur wheat
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 1⁄2 tsp ginger purée
  • 1 carrot, sliced into rounds
  • 1 courgette, sliced into rounds
  • 1 small green pepper, sliced in half and diced
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
  • 100g green beans, diced
  • 3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1⁄2 tsp turmeric
  • 100g green peas
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • Salt

Method

  1. Rinse the wheat several times
 and drain to remove any impurities. Squeeze out any excess water then place in a bowl. Stir in half the tomato purée, half of the olive oil and some salt, and combine well using a wooden spoon.
  2. Heat the rest of the olive oil in a casserole dish and fry the onion until soft and translucent. Stir in the spices and ginger purée. Then add all the vegetables (minus the peas) and tomatoes to the pan and stir over a low heat for a minute or so. Add salt to taste, the turmeric and remaining tomato purée. Combine well.
  3. Pour 250ml of water into the pan and cook on a medium heat for 15 minutes,
or until the potato is almost cooked (test with a knife). Lay a sheet of foil over the mixture and cover with a lid (take a look to make sure steam is rising), then add the lemon juice.
  4. When the 
vegetables are tender
 with a slight bite, add
 the peas and cook for a
 few minutes. Remove the 
vegetables from the pan and set them aside. Add the wheat and 125ml water 
to the pan and bring to the boil. Keep stirring as the wheat thickens, then remove from the heat.
  5. Layer the ingredients in a casserole dish: sprinkle the wheat into the bottom then top with a layer of vegetables, repeating twice. Return the casserole to the hob, lay a sheet of foil over the mixture and cover with the lid. Steam over a low heat for around 55 minutes.
  6. Serve in a large bowl and garnish with the parsley.