🥣 Jareesh (Cracked Wheat Porridge)

Method

1. Soak the 2 cups of jareesh in water for 2 hours, then rinse and drain.

2. Quarter one onion, slice the other thinly and crush the 3 garlic cloves.

3. Put the half chicken in a pot with the 8 cups of water, the quartered onion, salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper (and the pierced dried lime if using), bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the scum with a spoon.

4. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender, then lift it out, remove the bones and skin, shred it into small pieces and keep the broth in the pot.

5. Add the drained jareesh to the broth and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often, until the grains swell and the texture thickens.

6. Keep the heat low and add the 2 cups of laban gradually while stirring, along with 1 tsp cumin and the chicken pieces, and stir for 10 minutes until thick and creamy.

7. Taste and adjust the salt; if the jareesh is too thick, stir in a little hot water.

8. In a small pan heat the 3 tbsp ghee over medium heat and fry the onion slices for 8–10 minutes until golden, then add the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant (and the chili if using).

9. Pour the jareesh into a serving dish, make a small well in the centre, fill it with the fried onions and ghee, and serve hot.

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