Freekeh is a a green wheat that is harvested young. It goes through a roasting process in its production that blesses it with a wonderful nutty flavor.
It is a wonderful grain to have in the pantry. Intensely flavorful, earthy, full of umami. With roasted overtones, toothier than farro, softer than barley, and with a meaty density.
Read more about Freekeh on wikipedia.
I have loved Freekeh ever since I first enjoyed it at Tanoreen in Brooklyn, where I brought Eric Asimov for a meal, and ever since then, the rest has been history for Rawia BIshara and Tanoreen.
Was craving Freekeh this week and so Smita and I decided to make some for brunch today. Sharing a pictorial with notes below.
Freekeh is first sautéed in a pan, dry, to exaggerate its nutty flavor. Then cooked following the package instructions. If you want, you can use 1 tablespoon of EVOO after the grain is cooked and is cooling, by adding it into the pan, stirring it to coat the grains evenly, And allowing the grain to cool after. This keeps the grains separate and their taste nuttier.
Smita and I were craving Freekeh and veggies. There is something most satiating about enjoying the combination of this green nutty grain when paired with flavorful and textured vegetables and cooked with spices and aromatics. The play of colors only adds to the brilliance.
We eat with our eyes even before we eat with our mouths. And so, it is always smart to cull our foods from a broad palette of colors and textures, so as to please our palates most deeply.
Always a smart idea to get mis en place for a recipe together before you get too far with it.
As we were eating the bowlfuls of this Extra Freekeh Salad, Smita commented how noteworthy it was that, "what took almost two hours of prepping and cooking, was savored happily and with pleasure, in just 20 minutes."
Began by taking some EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) win which I added curry leaves, dried red chiles, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, heeng and fenugreek seeds. Blommed them for a couple of minutes, or until the cumin was dark golden in color and the mustard seeds were jumping in the pan with glee.
Next I added the leek whites and the minced onions and some salt into the pan. Cooked the onions till they were sweaty and translucent with some browning on the edges. A good 10 minutes, maybe a tad longer.
Next I added the carrots, potatoes, broccoli stems, and leek greens into the pan. Saute them for five minutes. Get them sweating and soft on the sides. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes. Open and make a well in the center of the pan. Add a tablespoon of EVOO into the pan and get It hot
Put some peanuts into the well with the hot oil and cook them for a minute. Then saute them with the vegetables for a couple of minutes.
Add the corn, green beans, zucchini, sprouts and broccoli into the pan, Saute the contents of the pan on medium to hight heat till the veggies have released their water and softened some. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add Cayenne pepper and Saambaar Powder/Curry Powder into the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes to cook the turmeric in the spice mix. Cover and cook another 3-5 minutes, on med heat.
Add tender cilantro stems at this point and cook for a minute. Leave the minced cilantro greens for garnish.
Add the Freekeh at this point and mix well to incorporate it evenly into the pan. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Do not stir the contents of the pan too rigorously as you can overwork the veggies and crush them. Something you do mot want to do. The beauty of this salad is to have the veggies cooked but not too soft.
Add the chopped tomatoes and lime juice and minced chiles next. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. You want to warm the tomatoes through, but not overcook them. Turn the gas off. Keep the pan covered as you make the tempering oil.
In the smallest frying pan you have, take a tablespoon or so of EVOO as tempering oil to finish the salad with. Add curry leaves, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, heeng (asafetida) and dried chiles into the oil. Cook the spices till they are blooming, and the cumin is golden brown and the mustard seeds are dancing in the pan.
In the tempering oil with the golden brown cumin, add a little desiccated coconut. Cook it until it gets golden brown in color and your kitchen has the nutty toasty smell of coconut browning in oil. Take this perfumed finishing oil and pour it over the contents of the salad in the pot. Mix nicely and gently, without breaking down the veggies. But also ensuring that the perfumed pan leaves its mark on the entire dish.
Check the salad for salty and lime juice. Remember that too little salt, and the salad will be sleepy. Too much, and the dish will be bitter. Salt and lime play the most important role in the taste of a dish. They are a necessary balancing act to achieve overall deliciousness in any dish.
Spices need salt and healthy fats to make their vibrance come through. Lime juice can give the necessary heft and depth as you keep track of your salt intake.
Serve hot or warm in pasta bowls, or cereal bowls. Top with minced cilantro.
Smita and I found it most difficulty to not go back for thirds into the kitchen. This warm salad has the most delicious flavor, a wondrous colorful personality, and an umami rich depth of flavor that bring satiety like one does to easily find in most foods.
The grain to vegetable ratio is rather incredible and could scare most. But luckily chopped and frozen chopped veggies are found in abundance most everywhere today. Make sure that you have at least 4-5 cups of veggies for 1 cup of cooked grain.
Choose veggies of different colors. Add them with mindful care to ensure nothing is overcooked. This dish is as much about flavor as it is about looks and textures. It is the combination of brilliance of taste, looks and healthfulness that make it a winning dish.
You will find yourself licking the plate clean and making it often once you give it a try. This salad that uses Freekeh, an ancient grain, is simply put, Freakin' Delicious.
Comments