In 2023 Saudi Arabia named jareesh one of its national dishes, a choice that says a great deal about the kingdom's sense of itself. Jareesh is crushed wheat cooked slowly with chicken or meat, then softened with yogurt or milk into a thick, creamy porridge, and finished with kushnah, a crown of onions fried in ghee. It is a dish of the Najd, the central region around Riyadh, made for Ramadan evenings, for winter and for welcoming guests, and it is ancient in spirit: wheat, meat, dairy and patience.

It is unusually forgiving for a beginner, because the whole aim is to cook it until it collapses. Its gentle, savory creaminess is a fine counterpoint to the spice of kabsa if you are cooking a full Saudi spread for the race in Jeddah.

The jareesh

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (250 g) jareesh (crushed wheat)
• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) bone in chicken thighs or breasts
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) water
• 1 small onion
• 1 loomi (dried black lime)
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 cup (245 g) plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk

The kushnah topping

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (40 g) ghee
• 2 medium onions
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried lime or a squeeze of lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 pinch fine salt

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