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Bircher-style freekeh with pistachios and dried sour cherries recipe
- Cuisine: Syrian
- 6
Created by accident in Syria in 2300BCE, freekeh (or farik, Arabic for rubbed) is immature wheat that is roasted and then threshed to separate the grain from the charred straw and chaff.
According to the story, the inhabitants of a Syrian city, fearing they would starve while under siege, harvested their wheat crops early and stored the heads in a pile within the city walls. To salvage what they could when the wheat caught on fire, the people rubbed the charred heads of wheat to discover the green grain had not burned and had taken on an earthy, smoky flavour.
Because the grains are young when harvested, freekeh contains more protein, vitamins and minerals than mature wheat grains.
It also has a low glycaemic index and contains up to four times more fibre than brown rice, reports the CSIRO.
Freekeh makes a fresh alternative to pasta, rice or potatoes, and its versatility makes it suitable as a side dish or an ingredient in soups, salads, vegie burgers, breakfast cereals and various stuffings.
The grain is a popular ingredient in Middle Eastern and North African recipes, including the well-known Egyptian dish hamam bi’l-farik (pigeon stuffed with green wheat).
In Australia, packaged Greenwheat Freekeh (greenwheatfreekeh.com.au) is available from selected health food shops. If using unpackaged freekeh, rinse it to remove any chaff or stones.
Ingredients
165g (1 cup) freekeh560ml (2¼ cups) cloudy apple juice
1 cinnamon quill
2 granny smith apples, grated, plus extra, sliced, to serve
2 tbs lemon juice
500g sheep’s-milk yoghurt*
50g (⅓ cup) dried sour cherries*
2 tbs dried barberries* (see note opposite)
50g (⅓ cup) roasted almonds, roughly chopped
35g (¼ cup) pistachios, roughly chopped, plus extra, to serve
2 tbs honey, to drizzle
Preparation
Place freekeh, apple juice, 125ml (½ cup) water and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 35 minutes or until freekeh is tender and the liquid has absorbed. Set aside to cool. Discard cinnamon.
Place cooked freekeh, apples, lemon juice, yoghurt, dried fruit and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Divide among bowls, top with extra apple, drizzle with honey and scatter over extra pistachios to serve.
* Sheep’s-milk yoghurt and dried sour cherries are available from selected delis.
Photography by John Laurie. Food preparation by Angela Nahas & Will Lewis.
If you enjoyed this Bircher-style freekeh with pistachios and dried sour cherries recipe then browse more Syrian recipes, breakfast recipes, fruit recipes, low-gi recipes and our most popular hainanese chicken rice recipe.
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