Jareesh recipe

Coarsely crushed wheat simmered for hours with lamb, then beaten with laban into a creamy porridge and topped with onions fried in ghee, Saudi Arabia's national dish since 2023.

4 hoursmedium10 ingredients

Ingredients

• 400 g crushed wheat (jareesh)
• 750 ml laban (Saudi buttermilk)
• 500 g lamb
• 100 g short-grain rice
• 2 onions
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp dried lime powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

How to make Jareesh

1. Rinse 400 g of crushed wheat (jareesh) and soak it in cold water for 1 hour, then drain.
2. Put 500 g of bone-in lamb pieces in a large pot with 2 litres of water, 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of black pepper; bring to a boil, skim and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add the drained wheat and 100 g of short-grain rice, bring back to a simmer, then cook on very low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes so it does not catch; add hot water if it gets too thick.
4. Lift out the lamb, remove the bones, shred the meat and return it to the pot.
5. During the last 30 minutes, pour in 750 ml of laban (or plain yogurt) a little at a time, stirring and pressing the mixture against the pot with a ladle until it becomes a thick, creamy porridge.
6. For the kushna, melt 4 tbsp of ghee in a frying pan and fry 2 thinly sliced onions for 12 to 15 minutes until deep golden, then stir in 1 tsp of cumin.
7. Spread the jareesh in a deep dish, make a well in the centre, pour in the onions with their ghee and sprinkle with 1 tsp of dried lime powder.

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