Aleesa a delicious wheat porridge with meat, cooked in coconut milk and seasoned with fried shallots, nuts and ghee is served as a starter with sugar on the side in Moplah weddings.
Prep Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time2 hourshrs20 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Kerala, Malabar, Moplah, South Indian
Servings: 4people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For Porridge
1cupwheat berries or use pearl barley soaked for 5 to 8 hours or overnight
300 to 500gramsboneless chicken thighsboneless skinless
4garlic clovescrushed
4cloves
3green cardamom
1inchcinnamon stick
2cupsthick coconut milk
2 to 4cupswater
1teaspoonghee
salt to taste
For Garnish
4tablespoonghee
10mini shallots thinly sliced or use a medium red onion
2tablespoonsgolden raisins
8whole cashewssplit
Serve
Sugar optional
Ghee
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the Porridge
Add all the Porridge items into a deep saucepot or pressure cooker.
Pressure cooking method
Pressure cook on low to medium flame for 2 to 3 whistles. Let the pressure cool on its own.
Check if the chicken and wheat are cooked, adjust salt, add more water if required and pressure cook again for 2 to 3 whistles and switch off.
Saucepot cooking method
Bring the mixture to boil on high and then reduce the flame to low. Cover and cook for the next 1 and ½ hours making sure to stir every 10 minutes.
Once the mixture thickens, keep a heat diffuser or flat pan underneath the pot for even heat and to prevent burnt food.
Blend
Remove and discard any bones and whole spices (my mom had mentioned tying the whole spices in a cloth and dropping them in the pot to cook so they can be removed once done.)
Use a hand immersion blender to grind the wheat and chicken to a porridge consistency. You may add more hot water to your desired consistency. If you don't have an immersion blender, then wait for it to cool down and pulse the content in batches in a food processor or mixie to a coarse paste.
If the mixture is too thick, add a cup of very hot water and bring it to a boil before switching off.
Prep the garnish items
Heat ghee in a small saucepan and fry the raisins until puffed. Remove and keep aside in a bowl
In the same pan, fry the cashews, remove and add them to the bowl of raisins.
Add more ghee if required and fry the thinly sliced shallots or onions. Remove and add them to the bowl. Mix and use them to garnish.
Pour the remaining ghee after frying into the pot of aleesa.
Serve
Serve aleesa while warm in a shallow place, topped with fried garnish items and a drizzle of ghee. Place a bowl of sugar on the side so each can add as much as they want.