Freekeh, Made Simple

There has been a lot of buzz around freekeh lately, which feels both a strange and welcomed trend.  Growing up, I knew "Freekeh" to be a dish made for large parties or any occasion that required a dish large enough to feed a crowd. I never paused for a moment to realize that the main ingredient for this well known dish is also its namesake. In Arabic, the name of a dish and the name of its primary staple are often one in the same. Recently a friend of mine chuckled when I momentarily swapped languages mid-conversation and referred to garbanzo beans as hummus.  "No I'm talking about the bean," she said. To which I responded, "Yea, so am I." "No, not the dip" -- and that bit went on for a solid couple of minutes. To my knowledge, there is no specific Arabic word for garbanzo beans, but would I love to hear from anyone aware of another term.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of interest and familiarity in freekeh from customers who never cooked with it but were eager to make it their newest pantry essential.

I had my own discovery with freekeh as a pilaf-style side dish, an easy and filling solution to finding nothing in the fridge. Traditionally, freekeh is served on a large platter and topped with chicken, or sometimes lamb. Any meat protein can be added, but I decided to make a vegetarian power bowl in order to focus on a basic freekeh recipe,  which takes about 15 minutes total to make. The first video below reflects 1 cup of freekeh, for 2 to 3 servings. The full box will serve a family, or if you're someone who likes to cook one main item to store for the week, you can get creative by making a grain bowl one day, or a big hearty salad topped with a spoon or two of freekeh another.

Makes 4 servings

Freekeh, 1 cup

Yellow or White Onion, 1 small or 1/2 large 

Olive Oil, 2 Tablespoons

Water, 1 to 1.5 cups

Nutmeg,1/2 teaspoon

Allspice, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt, 1/2 teaspoon (salt in video is Himalayan salt)

Chop onion.  Add olive oil In a medium sized pot, on low heat over stovetop (Gas stovetops: low heat. Electric, medium heat.) Cook onions until golden. Watch over and stir onions to keep from browning.

Once onions are translucent, add the freekeh.  Stir freekeh and onions for about thirty seconds, then add 1 cup of water, or enough water to go just above the freekeh line (about an 1/8 of an inch above). 

Add spices and salt, and stir. Let boil until all water is absorbed, stirring occasionally to gauge moisture.

Eat with veggies, or a protein like chicken. And maybe set some aside to add to a lunch salad the next day! 

 Piece together this flavorful power bowl for a good helping of fiber and protein.

Two things not shown in the making of the zucchini medley:

• Salt sprinkled proportionately over the cut vegetables before going into the oven (I like using Himalayan Sea Salt.)
• Chopped, fresh mint leaves tossed into the medley once out of the oven.  Toss in any of your favorite fresh herbs like basil, cilantro or parsley. Or perhaps some chili pepper!

 Personally, after having this freekeh bowl, I noticed a curb in sugar cravings more so than with a brown rice dish. I'm starting to understand how this ancient grain has come to the fore, making me all the more appreciative of culinary traditions passed down through generations.