Armenians love eating delicious food, and throughout the centuries Armenians made dishes which are too tasty and their recipes are passed down from generation to generation. During the time, the recipes underwent some changes, but the main ingredients and cooking directions were preserved.
Harissa is one of the traditional Armenian dishes which has been passed on since ancient times. It is a kind of porridge, which is made of boned and stewed chicken and cracked or coarsely ground wheat. Traditionally it was made with lamb, but nowadays the majority makes it with chicken.
There are different stories about the origin and name of this dish. According to the most widespread and popular one, when the patron saint of Armenia, Gregory the Illuminator was offering a meal of love and charity to the poor. And they have to add wheat, as there weren’t enough sheep to feed the crowds. They noticed that the wheat was sticking to the bottom of the pot. Saint Gregory advised, “Harekh! Stir it!” Thus, the name of the dish, harissa, came from the saint’s own words.
Once a year (every third Sunday of September) Armenians gather together in Armenian region Armavir to commemorate the resistance of Musa Ler mountain during the Armenian genocide in 1915. They make harissa and celebrate the victory with songs and dances.
Harissa usually takes an extremely long time to cook, but if you visit Armenia and eat this incredible dish, you will make sure that it’s worth a try.
If you come to Armenia, you can try this dish in traditional Armenian restaurants or you can make it yourself. The recipe is taken from Heghineh.com
Ingredients
One 2-2.5 kg chicken
680 grams peeled wheat
Water
Salt
Clarified or regular butter for serving Harissa
Instructions
- Cook the chicken until tender, save the broth
- Remove and separate all the meat from the bones,
- Save the bones to make broth, you’ll need extra liquid for cooking the wheat
- Wash the wheat, place in a large pot, add the chicken and broth, start cooking
- Cook and stir on medium heat
- As the liquid simmers, add more broth ( the one you made with chicken bones or simply add boiling water)
- Cook and stir Harissa for 4-5 hours or until all the chicken meat dissolved with wheat,
- Thick and heavy porridge consistency is what you need for perfectly cooked Harissa
- Remember to stir occasionally to prevent sticking
- Harisa is served with clarified or melted butter, pickled veggies are also a must side dish to go with Harisa
Enjoy ))
