Ajika Freekeh is a posh grain of baby green wheat that is roasted. The special roasting process gives this grain a earthy, smoky, and distinct gourmet flavor. It is popular in Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria.
Make Middle Eastern or North African like dishes by making a turkey filling of seasoned freekeh, or into a Pilavi or Pilaf or a Turkish shurbat farik bi’l-mukh Meat Stew seasoned with chiles and vegetables and chickpeas or a 'Syrian farikat la'ma' Wheat Pilaf dish with roasted lamb, spring peas, and pine nuts; and a Palestinian shurba al-farik Soup with green wheat and chicken.
You may fry meat in ghee and braise with water, salt, and Ajika garam masala. Then add roasted dried crushed Ajika coriander seeds to the meat. Stir in Ajika freekeh and simmer covered till cooked. Finally add fried onions and cumin sizzled in butter to the pilaf.
The wheat is harvested while the grains still baby yellow or green and the seeds are still soft and full of moisture. The grain is then dried in the sun to dry our the chaff and staw which is then gently set on fire to burn out the now dried staw and chaff. The now roasted wheat which is full of moisture is further thrashed and sun-dried to make the flavor, texture, and color uniform. It is this thrashing or rubbing process of the grains that gives this food its name, farik or “rubbed.”
