Jareesh

Ingredients

• 300 g jareesh, or coarse bulgur
• 700 g bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 2 large onions
• 5 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 tsp for dusting
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 litres water
• 200 g full-fat plain yoghurt

Before you cook

• Rinse the cracked wheat in cold water, cover it with fresh water and leave it to soak for 2 hours, then drain.
• Chop one onion finely and slice the other one thinly.
• Trim the heaviest fat from the lamb chunks.
• Whisk the yoghurt smooth in a small bowl and leave it out of the fridge.

Steps

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the ghee in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
3. Put in the lamb chunks and brown them on all sides for about 8 minutes.
4. Stir in the cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and salt, and let them toast for 1 minute.
5. Pour in the water and bring the pot to a boil.
6. Skim the surface clean, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes until the lamb is falling-tender.
7. Lift out the lamb, pull the meat from the bones in large shreds and set it aside.
8. Tip the drained cracked wheat into the simmering broth and stir it through.
9. Cook uncovered over low heat for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the base so nothing catches.
10. Beat the pot hard with a wooden spoon for a minute so the grains break down and the jareesh turns creamy.
11. Return the shredded lamb to the pot and fold it in.
12. Stir in the whisked yoghurt and warm it through for 3 minutes without letting the pot boil.
13. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat.
14. Fry the sliced onion for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until deep brown and crisp at the edges.
15. Spread the jareesh in a wide bowl and press a shallow well into the middle.
16. Pour the fried onions and their ghee into the well, dust the surface with cinnamon and serve hot.