RECIPE OF THE MONTH: FREEKEH B’LAHMÉ [TIME & LEISURE] (Copy)

BY ANGELA ZAHER, TIME & LEISURE

PUBLISHED 31st March 2026

If you live in and around Reigate and enjoy Lebanese food, you’re in luck.  Lebnani is an award winning restaurant in Surrey and one that I would be a regular at if I lived closer.  My main gripe about Lebanese restaurants is that they tend to be reductive about our beautiful cuisine- it’s mezze and mixed grills with little else.  Lebanese food consists of an enormous range of dishes using grains, pulses, herbs, spices and vegetables prepared simply and mindfully, here meaning with an awareness of what the body needs for nourishment and the soul craves for comfort. We believe in variety being the spice of life and our cuisine reflects that, but this is something that’s not showcased by many of our restaurants.  Except Lebnani. There the menu, as well as having the popular staples one would expect- done with care and skill, has proper hearty everyday meals (tabkhat) we eat at home.  Chef patron Jad Youssef with his entrepreneurial and charismatic wife Aga have built something truly special with Lebnani and now, anyone can have a go at recreating these dishes in their own home.  Jad has written down his recipes, many that have passed through generations as well as those that bear his own stamp and flair with flavours.  And the outcome of all that hard work is in his hot off the press cookbook, Lebnani.

The recipe that I’ve chosen for you this month is Freekeh B’lahmé. I’ve been here for a while now and it’s about time I introduce you to one of my favourite grains. Freekeh is green wheat that’s harvested young and roasted over open flames then rubbed to remove the charred husk. It has a distinctive nutty, grassy flavour with an unsurprising smokiness given how it’s prepared. Compared with rice, freekeh has roughly double the amount of protein and almost quadruple the amount of fibre (per 100g). It’s easy to cook, with broth that it absorbs for added complexity, taste wise and goodness. I’ve done all I can to convince you, grab a bag (Waitrose stocks it as well as all other Arab or Persian food shops) and try it out!

ANGELA’S SUGGESTIONS:

There’s a nice shortcut leading to fast freekeh. Use ready made stock instead – the ones in pouches are particularly good. This way you can skip to the “prepare freekeh” section of the recipe below.  If I want a vegetarian version of this dish, I also stir through a can of chickpeas at the end of the freekeh cooking process for added protein.

Angela Zaher is a freelance writer based in London.  Her articles have been published in The Evening Standard, Delicious, Platinum, Good Housekeeping and Business Insider. Find her on instagram @angela_zaher

FREEKEH B’LAHMÉ

Smoky roasted green wheat with lamb, sultanas & toasted nuts

Serves 4–5

Ingredients:

For the lamb and broth

• 60–80ml olive oil

• 1.5kg bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into 200–250g chunks

• 3–3.5L cold water

• 2 large brown onions (about 400g), halved

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 6–8 whole cardamom pods

• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

• 1½ tsp fine sea salt

For the freekeh

• 500g whole freekeh

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 4 tbsp butter or samneh

• 1 medium brown onion, finely diced

• 5 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 100g golden sultanas

• 2½ tsp Baharat (Lebanese 7 spices)

• 1½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1–1.2L hot lamb broth (approx. – see above)

• 4 tbsp almonds, whole or halved

• 4 tbsp pine nuts

• 2 tbsp pistachios

Method:

To prepare the lamb and broth

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown well on all sides, then cover with the cold water and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface and when the water is clear, add the remaining ingredients. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2–2.5 hours until the lamb is tender. Check every 30 minutes. Once done, remove the chunks of lamb and set aside. Strain and reserve the broth, keeping it hot.

To prepare the freekeh

While the lamb is cooking, wash the freekeh thoroughly, rinsing the grains 3 or 4 times until the water runs clear. Pick out any dark pieces or stones. Drain well.

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil with half of the butter or samneh. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes until soft and golden, then add the freekeh and stir gently for 5–7 minutes until fragrant and lightly nutty. Stir in the golden sultanas.

Add the Baharat, salt, and black pepper to the pot and stir well. Add approximately 1–1.2 litres of the reserved hot broth – enough to cover the freekeh by 1 or 2cm. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, until the freekeh is tender and the broth has been absorbed. The grains should stay fluffy and separate, with a smoky aroma. Rest the freekeh, covered, for 10 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork.

In a small pan, heat the remaining butter or samneh and toast the almonds, pine nuts and pistachios until golden. Watch carefully to make sure the nuts don’t burn. Tip them onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and leave to cool slightly.

Arrange the fluffy freekeh on a large platter. Place the lamb pieces on top or on the side. Scatter the toasted nuts generously over the freekeh. In our house, we always poured a little extra broth over the platter too – pure comfort.

Notes

• Bone-in lamb shoulder always gives the best flavour.

• Do not skip toasting the freekeh – this brings out its smoky flavour.

• The freekeh must be fluffy – never mushy.