Hareesa, and sometimes pronounced hrisa, is a wheat berry porridge, cooked with chicken or meatmade specifacally in Lebanon during Ashura, Muharam. The pot is cooked slow and low for hours (lots of stirring is required), ending up with a creamy texture, but with enough slight chewy bite to keep it gripping. Hareesa, could be arguably the best thing you would ever taste, believe me, you are in for a treat. I grew up eating hareesa, and after I had a kitchen for myself, I worked hard 33 years ago to perfect it and by time I gained a reputation for being a great hareesa maker, follow the recipe to a T and success is yours, it’s a project and laborious to make, but so worth it, watch the video below.
Hareesa is made traditionally in Ashura, Muharram (the first month in the Islamic calendar), and are prepared and served by volunteers. This act plays a connotative role in remembering the famishment experienced by Imam El Hussain and his family, a feasability for individuals to come together and share their faith and loyalty. Harrisa is made during the 10 days of Ashura. It doesn’t have to be the only option to serve but it has to at least be part of the lineup alongside kaak al Abbas.
What are wheat berries and what type we use in making harissa?
Wheat berry is the whole grain of wheat, before it has been processed into bran, germ or flour, it resembles in a way the small grain of rice, but with a chewier texture. The wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed) they considerably cook faster.
Tips and Tricks
- Hareesa can be made with meat or a mix of chicken and meat together.
- It is important to soak the wheat berries overnight for best results.
- You will notice I processed half of the cooked wheat berries and kept the rest whole, you can skip this step, but if you are looking for a phenomenal hareesa, follow my recipe exactly, it’s a secret tip, I learned from my grandma; I promise you well be satisfied with the result, processing half of the wheat berries will provide your hareesa with a silkier taste and texture.
- You can use ghee or butter, though I would gravitate more to ghee, but it is still doable with butter.
Ingredients needed to make harissa
- Chicken: Use 2 whole chickens
- Wheat Berries: the wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed) they considerably cook faster.
- Ghee or butter: Adds so much flavor
- Water: The liquid agent
- Onion: Neutralizes the odors of chicken
- Bay Leaves: Flavor enhancer
- Cardamom Pods: Flavor enhancer
- Cloves: Flavor enhancer
- Cinnamon Powder and Seven Spice to garnish and flavor the harissa.
How to make hariisa?
- Soak the wheat berries: To a large bowl, cover the wheat berries with water, and soak at room temperature for at least 10 hours to maximum 15 hours.
- Cook the wheat berries: Place the wheat berries in a large pot over high heat and add 4 liters (about 4 quarts) of water. Once it reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to low, cover up and let it simmer for 2 hours.
- Cook the chicken: Clean the chicken and transfer to a large pot. Add 14 cups of water and cook on high heat. Spoon the scum that appears on top. Add the onion, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Reduce heat to low, cover up and cook for 2 to 3 hours. The more the better. Strain the broth and place the chicken on a dish to cool down; debone and remove the skin, shred the chicken.
- Blend half of the wheat berries: When the wheat berries are fully cooked, blend half of the quantity (preferably using a handmill, the resuly is silkier and creamier)and leave the other chuncky.
- Cook together the wheat berries, shredded chicken and chicken broth: To a large pot, add the cooked wheat berries, (the blended and the chunky), the shredded chicken and salt. Add 10 cups of the chicken broth to the wheat berry pot and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the mixture reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to very low, cover the pot and let it simmer 3 hours, stirring every 10 minutes, to avoid sticking.
- Heat the ghee and add to harissa: Heat ghee in a skillet around 275°F/ 135 °C and add it to the wheat berry pot, stir well to infuse the ghee with the berries, cook for further 10 minutes and serve in individual soup plates.
- Garnish with spices and serve warm: Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder and seven spice, (or one of the spices) on top of each plate. Serve warm, so delectable.
Hareesa, Wheat and Chicken Porridge
Description
Hareesa, and sometimes pronounced hrisa, is a wheat berry porridge, cooked with chicken or meatmade specifacally in Lebanon during Ashura, Muharam. The pot is cooked slow and low for hours (lots of stirring is required), ending up with a creamy texture, but with enough slight chewy bite to keep it gripping. Hareesa, could be arguably the best thing you would ever taste, believe me, you are in for a treat. I grew up eating hareesa, and after I had a kitchen for myself, I worked hard 33 years ago to perfect it and by time I gained a reputation for being a great hareesa maker, follow the recipe to a T and success is yours, it's a project and laborious to make, but so worth it, watch the video below.
Ingredients
- 1 Kg Wheat berries, the wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed)
- 2 whole chickens 1.5 kg/ 3 lb 5 oz each
- 1 cup ghee
- Salt to taste
For the chicken broth
- 1 onion
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
Instructions
- To a large bowl, cover the wheat berries with water, and soak at room temperature for at least 10 hours to maximum 15 hours.
- Drain the wheat berries.
- Meanwhile cook the wheat berries: Place the wheat berries in a large pot over high heat and add 4 liters (about 4 quarts) of water. Once it reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to low, cover up and let it simmer for 2 hours.
- Clean the chicken and transfer to a large pot. Add 14 cups of water and cook on high heat. Spoon the scum that appears on top. Add the onion, cloves, bay leaves and cardamom pods. Reduce heat to low, cover up and cook for 2 to 3 hours. The more the better.
- Strain the broth.
- Place the chicken on dish to cool down. Debone and remove the skin, shred the chicken.
- When the wheat berries are fully cooked, process half of the quantity (preferably using a handmill, and keep the other half chunky, secure the food mill above a large bowl or pot, process the wheat berries in batches. Turn the crank and the blade will puree the wheat berries through the wholes in the disc. Keep turning until you have processed half of the wheat berries, (don't process all, just the half), making sure to scrape any remaining off the bottom, this is a secret tip to take your hareesa from good to excellent, the result is silkier and creamier.
- To a large pot, , add the cooked wheat berries, (the processed and the chunky), the shredded chicken and salt. Add 10 cups of the chicken broth to the wheat berry pot and cook over high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
- When the mixture reaches a boiling point, reduce heat to very low, cover the pot and let it simmer 2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes, to avoid sticking.
- Heat ghee in a skillet and add it to the wheat berry pot, stir well to infuse the ghee with the berries, cook for further 10 minutes and serve in individual soup plates.
- Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon powder and seven spice, (or one of the spices) on top of each plate. Serve warm, so delectable!
Video
Notes
1-Hareesa should have the consistency of a porridge, note that it will thicken a bit upon cooling.
2-The wheat used to make harrisa is dehulled (the tough hulls removed).
3- Hareesa can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
