Moroccan-style Five-grain Pilaf is a modern African Fusion recipe for a classic Moroccan-inspired accompaniment of rice, wheat berries, pearl barley, farro and quinoa with spinach and chickpeas that makes an excellent accompaniment or a vegetarian dish in an of itself. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic African Fusion version of: Moroccan-style Five-grain Pilaf.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
This is a modern Fusion recipe for a vegetarian Pilaf-style dish of multi-grains, greens and beans cooked in the Moroaccan style with Moroccan spices. Please note, the term wheat berry (also known as wheatberry) used in this recipe refers to the entire wheat kernel (except for the hull), comprising the bran, germ, and endosperm. Wheatberries have a tan to reddish brown colour and are available as either a hard or soft processed grain.
Freekeh represent green grains of durum wheat that are harvested and dried before sale. Durum wheat is an ancient cultivar of emmer wheat and remains the commonest variety of wheat grown in the Middle East. One of the commonest ways of using freekeh is to produce a pilaf, as in this recipe. Grains of freekeh are typically either sold whole or cracked, just as with durum bulgur wheat, though freekeh represents green and unripe grains.
Quinoa, being the seeds of the dicotyledonous Chenopodium quinoa a member of the Amaranth family is, strictly, a pseudograin rather than a true grain as it's not produced by a grass.
Heat the oil in a flame-proof casserole then add the onions, ginger and garlic, Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until softened. Add the Ras el Hanout, cumin, cinnamon and turmeric. Stir into the oil and cook for 1 minute. At this point add the stock, rice, wheat berries, barley and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, place the quinoa in a sieve, rinse thoroughly under plenty of running water. Add to the pan along with the millet and carrots. Return to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes, or until the grains are soft and almost all the liquid has been absorbed.
Top the mixture with the chickpeas and the spinach (do not stir in). Replace the lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes more, or until the greens have just wilted. At this point, toss the mixture with a fork to fluff up and mix then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.
