Harees (Soy-Free)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Whole wheat (harees wheat)
• 1.5 lbs Chicken or lamb (bone-in)
• 1 medium Onion
• 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 3 Cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
• 8 cups Water

Instructions

1. 1The night before you plan to cook, measure the 1 cup of whole wheat (harees wheat) into a bowl and cover it with water. Let it soak overnight.
2. 2Drain the soaked wheat. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the drained wheat, 1.5 lbs of chicken or lamb (bone-in), 1 medium onion (whole), 2 tablespoons of ghee, 1 cinnamon stick, and 3 cardamom pods.
3. 3Pour in 8 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. The meat should be very tender, and the wheat should have broken down into a thick, porridge-like consistency.
4. 4Carefully remove the meat from the pot. Place the meat on a cutting board and shred it into small pieces using two forks. Discard the bones, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods.
5. 5Return the shredded meat to the pot with the wheat mixture. Stir well to combine.
6. 6Using a wooden spoon or a sturdy masher, mash the mixture vigorously against the sides and bottom of the pot until it becomes a smooth, porridge-like consistency. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Continue mashing or blending until no large pieces of wheat or meat remain.
7. 7Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to allow the seasonings to meld.
8. 8Serve the harees hot. You can add an extra drizzle of ghee on top if desired.

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