METHOD

1. Combine all the dry items like the flours, semolina, sugar, salt, yeast in a mixing bowl. 
2. Make a well and add the olive oil and choice of herb and give a good mix
3. Gradually start adding the milk/water and mix to form a soft dough.
4. Transfer the dough to lightly floured surface on the counter top and knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. If it gets too sticky, then add a little flour and knead and if it is too tight and dry, then sprinkle some water and knead. As we are using fine semolina, the dough will absorb more moisture as you keep kneading, so sprinkling water while kneading will result in the soft and desirable dough for Batbout.
5. Divide the dough into equal smooth balls in the size of a small lemon and leave them to rest, on a lightly floured surface for about 20 minutes. Keep them covered all time. 

1. Prepare a clean surface where you will be laying the rolled out Batbouts to rise. Sprinkle fine semolina over the surface before placing the rolled-out dough. 
2. Roll out each ball into a thin circle of 1/8 inch thick. Transfer the rolled out dough on the prepared surface/tray and keep covered while working on the rest of the dough balls similar way. 
3. Leave to the Batbouts to rise for about 2 hours or until it doubles in size. 

1. Preheat a non-stick pan or a cast iron pan over medium heat and wait till it gets really hot.
2. Carefully lift the Batbouts from the surface and transfer to the pan. Add as much as the pan can hold. 
3. Flip the Batbouts several times, until golden brown on both sides. The browning will be a bit uneven and they puff up as it gets cooked
4. Transfer the cooked Batbout to a towel-lined basket to cool. 
5. Stuff them with anything you fancy. For example beef kebab, grilled chicken, burger patties etc. 

I like this Moroccan blogger's article about Batbouts that I came across when drafting this post. 

The Mini Batbouts are left to rise longer because we want a thicker bread that can hold the stuffing. You can make a thinner version and I already have a thinner Batbout recipe that is used to scoop up curries. These Batbouts can be made in any shapes and size and freezes well too.

I can't wait for Ramadan to start! 😇because as usual, I have not made any prep. 😁

I chose to make Freekeh Soup because I already have Molokhia recipe on the blog and coffee is not my thing. yes. I am weird. :-) I would have loved to recreate another Molokhia recipe because I love those greens but like mentioned in my that post, F hated it and I never made them again. 

Before diving into Freekeh, let me just give some highlight that caught my attention about Jordanian Cuisine. They are part of the Levantine Cuisine that shares similar traits but with local variations. Being one the of the largest producers of Olive, Jordanian food uses a lot of olive oil. They also have a unique dry yoghurt called Jameed which is used to make Mansaf, their national dish. I am also very intrigued by their Caraway Pudding which is on my must try list. InshaAllah. I read that A Jordanian invitation means that you are expected to bring nothing and eat everything. 😛 I love such invitations.

The whole grain called Freekeh or Freekah means “to rub” in Arabic. It is been part of the Levant food for centuries and now has joined the world's superfood list along with Quinoa. Freekeh gets its name from the process involved in obtaining it by harvesting the wheat while the grains are still yellow and the seeds are soft. They are then piled, sun-dried and carefully set on fire so that only the straw and chaff burns. The high moisture content of the young seeds prevents them from burning. This roasted and smoked wheat is subjected to separating and sun-drying to make the flavour, texture, and colour uniform. This smacking or beating or rubbing process of the grains gives this superfood its name, Freekeh. 

My first step was to source Freekeh. The google images confirmed that I have seen these in supermarkets here along with other legumes and lentils so sourcing shouldn't have been an issue unless Murphy's law is real. It was. 👊The day I went to get these, there wasn't a single pack of Freekeh. 😐

I was glad the stock was refilled the following week. Freekeh comes in three sizes - whole, coarse and fine. For the soup, you need the coarse or fine cut Freekeh. 

Both of us took turns to fall sick due to the changing weather and a warm bowl of soup would be really comforting. One of the evenings, I decided to give this soup a try and made a batch for two. I prepared the Chicken stock and then Freekah soup. I think by just smelling the aroma of the chicken stock cured me. A homemade chicken stock cannot match the store bought. 

I washed the smoked green wheat several times and soaked it for a while. Somewhere in the midst of making the soup, it reminded me of Molokhia day and a sense of doubt that F may not like this was born. My instincts rarely go wrong but I hoped for a miracle. 😐

Dinner time, unlike Molokhia day, I kept hushed about the soup, its taste, aroma etc. It was hard not to talk about the dish but I did not want to feed his expectations. I served with the last few slices of bread I had. We ate quietly and he finished one bowl that I served. Did not go for a second so I knew he was not impressed. But I am glad he finished what was served, unlike Molokhia.

So how does it taste? Freekeh has a strong earthy and nutty flavour. I have not tasted Quinoa but I read that if you like Quinoa then you will like Freekeh too. The texture is chewy like brown rice and keeps you satiated for long as it is loaded with protein and fibre. Unlike most other grains, this can be had for breakfast, lunch or dinner in soup, pilaf or salad form. 

While doing the dishes, I asked him what is that he did not like about the soup. He surprised me by saying "It was good but something very new - is this how it is prepared?" I told him that this is one of the ways to make and a great option to have instead of oats as this is a super-food whole grain. :-) I am going to talk about the grain for a few more days so that the idea settles that this is going to be part of our diet. 😝

Recipe inspired and loosely adapted from Dish Away and Sawsan's guest post on Manusmenu

Freekeh | Smoked Green Wheat Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS:

For the Chicken Stock 

For the Soup

METHOD

1. Place all the ingredients for preparing the chicken stock in a deep pot and add enough water to cover at least 3-4 centimetres above the chicken
2. Bring the mixture to boil and then reduce the flame to medium to low and cover the pot
3. Cook the chicken covered over medium heat until chicken is tender and the water is reduced by an inch. Approximately 30 minutes 
4. Remove the chicken from the water one by one and shred them to discard the skin and bones.
5. Pour the chicken stock through a sieve into a measuring jar. You should have around 3 to 4 cups of chicken stock.
6. Heat the same pot, add olive oil and saute the chopped onions until translucent
7. Add the freekeh and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Roasting the freekeh increases its flavour. 
8. Pour the chicken stock and stir in the choice of spice, adjust the salt 
9. Boil the soup until Freekeh is done. Approx 20 to 30 minutes
10. Serve hot with any bread and olives or even with a dash of yoghurt or sour cream 

Adapted from Shab's Cuisine

Yields: For 2 to 3 hungry tummy

Yields: 8 to 9 parathas

Notes:

I am loving Instagram stories but have not ventured too much into videos. Alrighty, that is it from me today. I have an attention seeker Ragee and under the weather, F to take care of. 

If you have tried any of my recipes, do DM me on Instagram with your pics or feedback. 

Have a beautiful week.