Photograph of the finished Harissa Armenian wheat

Middle East · Cháo lúa mì gà Harissa Armenia

Harissa Armenian wheat

4 hr Hands-on time + 8 hr waiting
MediumDifficulty
6 stepsSteps
Serves 4 Amounts follow along 4

What to get ready

  • Photograph of Broken wheat (dalia) Broken wheat (dalia) 1.3 lb
  • Photograph of Whole free-range chicken Whole free-range chicken 3.1 lb
  • Photograph of Unsalted butter Unsalted butter 9.9 oz
  • Photograph of Onion Onion 2
  • Photograph of Cinnamon powder Cinnamon powder 0.6 oz
  • Photograph of Salt Salt 1.1 oz
  • Photograph of Black pepper Black pepper 0.6 oz
  • Photograph of Red chilli powder Red chilli powder 1.1 oz

Method

  1. 1 Soak the broken wheat for 8 hours, then drain.
  2. 2 Simmer a whole chicken with onions for 60 minutes, then remove all the meat and discard the bones and skin.
  3. 3 Cook the wheat in chicken broth for 2 hours and 30 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
  4. 4 This isn't Tunisian harissa, but Armenian festive wheat porridge.
  5. 5 Add the shredded chicken and use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir the porridge for 15 minutes until the meat dissolves into fine strands.
  6. 6 Beat the meat until it's completely shredded – that's the defining characteristic of this dish; drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with chili powder when serving.

With an appliance

  • Pressure cooker 2 hr 20 min

    Replace step 3: cook under high pressure for 45 minutes, then release the pressure naturally; you still need to stir the porridge for 15 minutes with the lid open.

Start cooking