Ramadan staple · Creamy and slow

Jareesh Recipe (Kuwaiti Cracked Wheat with Chicken)

Soak the wheat. Stir as it thickens. Crispy onion top.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Jareesh is coarse cracked wheat cooked slowly with chicken and spices into a creamy, savoury porridge, a Ramadan table staple across Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. It goes wrong when the wheat stays gritty or sticks. The fix is soaking the jareesh, simmering low with enough liquid, and stirring more often as it thickens.

Prep20m
Cook1h 30m
Servings6
kcal / serving420
LevelEasy
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of jareesh

Why this recipe works

Soak

Dry wheat

Soaked jareesh cooks evenly and creamy.

Low and stirred

High heat

It catches easily as it thickens.

Fried onion top

Plain

The crisp, sweet topping makes the dish.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Jareesh

Topping

The NineFoods jareesh gauge

Is the jareesh creamy?

Stir and lift a spoonful.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 3 stages

Step by step

1

Cook chicken

Simmer · 40 min
  1. Fry onion in ghee, add spices, loomi, chicken, salt and water.
  2. Simmer, then shred chicken and discard bones.
Look for: tender chicken in stock.
40:00
2

Cook jareesh

Low · 45 min
  1. Add drained jareesh to the stock and simmer, stirring more often as it thickens.
  2. Return the shredded chicken. Use the gauge above.
Look for: creamy wheat and chicken.
45:00
3

Onion topping

Medium · 12 min
  1. Fry sliced onions in ghee until deep golden, add cumin and chilli.
  2. Spoon over the jareesh.
Look for: crisp golden onions.
12:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Not soaked or short cook.

Fix next time

Soak 2 hours and simmer longer.

Why

Heat too high.

Fix next time

Use a heavy pot on low and stir often.

Why

Under-seasoned stock.

Fix next time

Season the stock before adding wheat.

Why

Normal as it cools.

Fix next time

Loosen with hot water or milk.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
JareeshBaseBulgur, coarse
ChickenProteinLamb, simmer 1.5 hours
YogurtCreaminessMilk
GheeToppingButter or oil

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Salad, pickles and laban at iftar.

Store

Fridge 3 days; it sets firm.

Reheat

Add hot water and stir on low until creamy.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 6 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the jareesh creamy) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

More Arabian Gulf recipes5 Traditional Desi Cooking Techniques Every Cook Should KnowHow to Tenderise MeatHow to Make Ghee at Home

Quick answers

Jareesh FAQ

What is jareesh?

Coarsely cracked wheat, and the Gulf dish made by cooking it slowly with meat.

Is jareesh the same as harees?

They are close: harees uses whole wheat beaten smooth; jareesh uses cracked wheat and stays slightly grainy.

Can I use bulgur?

Coarse bulgur works, but cooks faster and is less creamy.

When is jareesh eaten?

Mostly during Ramadan, at iftar.