Wheat Berries With Roasted Carrots, Harissa Yogurt and Dates

The Arab-American chef Sameh Wadi built this very modern dish from some very traditional components of Middle Eastern cooking: yogurt, harissa, carrots and whole grains of wheat. It works equally well as a centerpiece for a vegetarian meal, or alongside a lamb tagine or stew such as Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate and Saffron. To produce the grain called freekeh, wheat berries are harvested green, cracked and roasted over open fires to produce a smoky, earthy-tasting result. “You can smell it in the market when the freekeh is in season,” Mr. Wadi said.

Ingredients

For the wheat berries:

• 2 cups wheat berries, freekeh (see note), or farro, washed and soaked in water for 10 minutes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock or lightly salted water, plus extra as needed

For the carrots:

• 10 to 12 carrots, preferably mixed colors, scrubbed and cut in half lengthwise (if possible, leave some of the green tops intact)
• Grapeseed or canola oil
• Salt

To finish:

• ¾ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons harissa, more to taste
• 6 pitted medjool dates, cut into slivers
• A handful of small mint leaves, for garnish
• A handful of small dill sprigs, for garnish
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    649 calories; 13 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 121 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams dietary fiber; 44 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 12 milligrams cholesterol; 503 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 to 6 servings

Preparation

Cook the wheat berries:

1. In a colander, drain the soaked grains and shake dry. In a medium saucepan with a tight lid, heat the olive oil. Add the grains and cook over moderately high heat, stirring continuously until dry and sizzling, about 1 minute.
2. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until the liquid just reaches the top level of the grains, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to very low, cover and continue to cook until liquid is absorbed and grains are cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. (Start tasting after 10 minutes; grains should be just tender at the heart. Add more liquid 2 tablespoons at a time if the pan becomes dry.) Turn off heat and set aside, covered, 15 to 30 minutes, to steam.

Cook the carrots:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spread out the carrots in one layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Roast until brown around the edges and tender all the way through, 15 to 20 minutes.

To finish:

1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice and harissa and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings with harissa and salt. The consistency should be thick but pourable; add more lemon juice or water as needed.
2. When ready to serve, fluff the grains with a fork. Spoon onto a serving platter or wide shallow bowl; arrange the carrots in a circle on top, then sprinkle with dates. Drizzle yogurt over top and garnish with mint, dill and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

• Freekeh, a Middle Eastern staple, are wheat berries that are harvested when green, then roasted and cracked. The smoky flavor is distinctive and delicious, but you can use regular wheat berries or farro and cook them in the same way. Or, you can cook any of these grains like pasta, in abundant salted boiling water. Drain, shake dry and mix with olive oil.

1 hour