Freekeh is a Middle Eastern dish made from roasted green wheat. Freekeh has recently become more popular because of its high dietary fiber content and low glycemic index. Freekeh is a delicious and healthy meal when prepared properly, and you can be sure to keep the recipe in your cookbook.
Ingredients
Basic Freekes
Makes 2 to 4 servings
- 2 to 2 1/2 cups (500 to 625 ml) water
- 1 cup (250 ml) freekeh
- 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
- 1/2 tbsp (7.5 ml) olive oil
Freekeh Pilaf
Makes 2 to 4 servings
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 30 g butter
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 6 cups (150 g) freekeh
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) ground allspice
- 1 cup (250 ml) vegetable stock
- 100 g Greek yogurt (Greek yogurt)
- 1.5 tsp (7.5 ml) lemon juice
- 1/2 clove of garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp (10 g) fresh parsley, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp (10 g) mint leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp (10 g) fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
- Salt and roasted black pepper, to taste
Freekeh Tabouleh
Makes 2 to 4 servings
- 2 cups (500 ml) cooked freekeh
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) flat fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 green onions, chopped small
- 3 Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes, chopped
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Step
Method 1 of 4: Microwave Cooking
Step 1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl
Place 2 cups (500ml) of boiling water, 1 cup (250ml) of freekeh, tsp (2.5ml) salt, and tbsp (7.5 ml) olive oil in a microwave-safe glass or plastic bowl.
- Stir gently to wet all the freekeh grains and mix well with the salt and oil.
- You can use broken freekeh grains or whole freekeh grains. Both can be used.
- To soak the water, fill a teapot or small saucepan with water and heat it on the stove over high heat until bubbles start to form.
- Alternatively, you can boil water by placing the water in a microwave-safe dish and microwave it at 30 to 60 second intervals until bubbles start to form. Place wooden chopsticks in water to break the surface tension when microwaved, thus preventing the water from overheating and the dish breaking.
Step 2. Cook on high setting
Cover the dish and cook the freekeh on high until most of the water is absorbed. For broken freekeh granules, the time required is 10 to 15 minutes. for whole freekeh grains, it will take 30 to 35 minutes.
If the microwave is not turning, pause the microwave one to three times during cooking to turn the dish in the microwave manually. With this step you can make sure the freekeh is evenly cooked
Step 3. Let freekeh
Once the cooking process is complete, remove the dish from the microwave and let it freekeh, undisturbed, for 5 minutes.
The freekeh grains will absorb any remaining water by this time, causing it to bloom and softening it
Step 4. Serve
At this time, the freekeh is ready to be served. You can enjoy it on its own or use it in recipes for other dishes that require cooked freekeh.
Method 2 of 4: Cooking on the Stove
Step 1. Mix the ingredients in a saucepan
Place 2 cups (625 ml) cold water, 1 cup (250 ml) freekeh, 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt, and 1/2 Tbsp (7.5 ml) olive oil in a medium or large bowl.
- Mix gently to combine the salt and olive oil and moisten all the grains in the freekeh.
- You can use broken grains or whole grains. Whole grains take longer to cook, but both can be used.
- Make sure the pot has a lid.
- The contents of the pot should reach three-quarters of the total volume. If the pan is fuller than that, water may spill out.
- Make sure you use cool or cold water. The cold water will heat more evenly, so the freekeh grains will cook evenly too.
- Note that if the instructions in the box or package of your freekeh differ, it is recommended that you use those instructions, not those listed in this article.
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat
Use a stirring spoon to stir the contents of the pot occasionally as the temperature continues to rise. Once the solution starts to boil, cover the pot with a lid.
The lid is necessary as it traps the steam in the pan. This prevents the water from evaporating, and it won't go anywhere but into the freekeh granules
Step 3. Let it continue to boil over low heat
Reduce the heat to low or medium-low and let the freekeh grains simmer until tender. For broken freekeh granules, the time required is 10 to 15 minutes. For whole freekeh grains, it will take 40 to 45 minutes.
- Stir the freekeh grains regularly throughout the cooking process so that they cook longer and don't stick to the pan as much.
- Stir the grains again at the end of the cooking process to ensure all the water is absorbed and the grains are evenly tender.
Step 4. Serve
Freekeh is now ready to be served. You can enjoy it as a side dish, or you can use it for other dishes that require cooked freekeh.
Method 3 of 4: Freekeh Pilaf
Step 1. Saute the onions
Put the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan and heat over the stove over medium heat. Add the sliced onions once the butter has melted and sauté until smooth and brown.
- Onion slices take 15 to 20 minutes to cook. You will need to stir the onions occasionally to prevent them from burning or sticking to the pan.
- If you want to evenly distribute the onion flavor throughout your dish, it's better to use chopped onions instead of sliced onions. Note that chopped onions should only take 7 to 12 minutes to cook.
Step 2. Soak the freekeh in cold water
Place the uneaten freekeh grains in a medium bowl and fill the bowl with cold water. Soak for 5 minutes.
It is recommended to soak while the onions are cooking to shorten the overall cooking time
Step 3. Drain the freekeh
Pour the freekeh and water through a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Discard all the water.
- The purpose of soaking, draining, rinsing and draining again helps to clean the freekeh grains.
- Make sure the holes in the sieve are very small so that the freekeh grains don't wash away with the water.
Step 4. Add the freekeh and spices to the onions
Place the freekeh, cinnamon and allspice in a saucepan with the onions. Mix well.
Step 5. Add stock, salt and pepper
Pour the vegetable stock into a saucepan and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Stir until smooth and bring to a boil.
Stir the contents of the pot regularly as it boils to prevent uneven cooking
Step 6. Simmer for 15 minutes
Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat to low and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Cover the pot while the freekeh is cooking to prevent the water from running out as it evaporates. Lack of water can cause freekeh to be hard and undercooked
Step 7. Leave it
Once the freekeh looks soft, remove the pan from the stove and let it rest for 5 minutes covered and 5 minutes without the lid.
- Leaving the freekeh closed will allow the granules to continue to absorb water.
- Leaving it uncovered allows the freekeh to cool slightly.
Step 8. Mix yogurt, lemon juice and garlic
In a separate small bowl, mix the three ingredients until smooth and even.
- Add a little salt if desired, to bring out more flavor.
- Save time doing this step while you wait for the freekeh to cool.
Step 9. Stir the spices into the pilaf
Once the pilaf is warm, not hot, stir in the parsley, mint, and coriander leaves until well combined with the pilaf.
Try the pilaf flavors and adjust the seasonings as needed
Step 10. Serve with yogurt and pine nuts
Spoon the freekeh pilaf into one serving dish and garnish each serving with a spoonful of the yogurt mix. Garnish with pine nuts.
- Pine nuts accent the freekeh nut flavor.
- You can also garnish with extra parsley or sprinkle with olive oil.
Method 4 of 4: Freekeh Tabouleh
Step 1. Drizzle the cooked freekeh with oil and lemon juice
Combine 2 cups (500 ml) of cooked freekeh with 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil and 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice. Stir well so that all the grains are exposed to the oil and lemon juice.
- Before trying this recipe, the freekeh should be cooked in the microwave or on the stove as described in this article. Make sure it's drained and slightly cool so it's not steamy hot.
- You will need about 1 cup (250 ml) of uncooked freekeh for this recipe.
Step 2. Stir in the spices and green onions
Add the parsley, mint, basil, and chopped green onions to the freekeh. Use a mixing spoon to stir these ingredients together, stirring until evenly distributed throughout the dish.
Step 3. Add the tomatoes
Combine tomatoes with freekeh and other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix well.
- At this time you can also season the tabouleh with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir well after adding the spices, try the taste, and add more as needed.
- You can add more spices if needed.
Step 4. Leave it
Cover the dish loosely and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- This step will cause the flavors to mix well. Also let the salad cool to room temperature.
- If you want this dish to be served cold, you can also put it in the calculator.
Step 5. Serve
Spoon into one serving dish and enjoy. Add salt and pepper if desired.
