Vegetarian
Jareesh: Nourishing vegetable and wheat casserole
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 dish guaranteed to be a sure fire success at your dinner party.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve in a large bowl and garnish with the parsley.
