AI-generated image
Areeka
Areeka (عريكة): Asiri wholemeal bread mound filled with ghee, honey and date syrup
In the green mountains of Asir in south-west Saudi Arabia, areeka is the breakfast for guests, weddings and cold mornings in Abha: thick wholemeal breads are torn while still hot and kneaded with ghee into a smooth, soft dome, then hollowed out and filled with a pool of warm ghee, mountain honey and date syrup. Everyone eats from the same plate, pinching off pieces and dragging them through the sweet centre. It is rich, warm and comforting, with a nutty wheat flavour. The usual mistake is letting the bread cool before kneading; it must be worked hot or it will not bind. Serve with cardamom coffee or milky tea, and a spoonful of cream if you like. Chef's tip: wear clean rubber gloves so you can knead the bread while it is properly hot.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the bread
- 10 ½ oz wholemeal flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 ⅛ oz gheemelted
For the centre
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 4 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp date syrup
- 4 tbsp clotted cream or thick cream (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (1)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz wholemeal flour, ½ tsp salt and 1 cup warm water into a soft dough and knead for 3 minutes. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Divide into 3 and pat each into a round about 1.5 cm thick. Cook in a dry heavy pan over a medium-low heat, covered, until cooked through and spotted brown, 5–6 minutes a side.
30 minStep 3: While still very hot, tear the breads into small pieces into a bowl. Add 2 ⅛ oz ghee and knead and pound with your knuckles until it forms a smooth, soft, slightly sticky dough, about 5 minutes.
5 minStep 4: Shape into a round mound on a serving plate and press a deep well in the middle with a cup.
Step 5: Warm 2 tbsp ghee, 4 tbsp honey and 3 tbsp date syrup together, pour into the well and add 4 tbsp clotted cream or thick cream. Serve at once while warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does areeka take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Bsissa
A tin of bsissa sits in many Tunisian kitchen cupboards, from Tunis flats to farmhouses in the south: a finely ground flour of roasted barley, roasted chickpeas and spices such as coriander, fennel and aniseed. In the morning a few spoonfuls are worked with olive oil and something sweet into a nutty, crumbly paste, or stirred with water into a thick drink, and it keeps you going until lunch. Travellers and pilgrims once carried it for the road. Roasting your own flour takes 15 minutes and makes a jar that lasts weeks. Sugar and dates keep it vegan; some families use honey. Chef's tip: roast the flours separately over a low heat and stir constantly; the moment they smell like toasted biscuits and turn light tan, tip them out of the pan.
Tunisian
Sabudana khichdi
Sabudana khichdi is the dish that sees Maharashtra through every vrat (fast), from Navratri to Ekadashi, but it's so good that people eat it any day of the week. Soaked sago pearls are tossed in a pan with crushed roasted peanuts, cubes of potato, cumin and green chilli until each pearl turns glassy and separate, then finished with lemon and coriander. It's soft, chewy, nutty and gently hot. Fasting rules vary from family to family, so check yours; this version uses rock salt and no asafoetida, onion or garlic. Traditionally it's cooked in ghee; use ghee instead of oil if you aren't keeping it vegan. Chef's tip: soak the sago in just enough water to cover by the height of the pearls themselves, no more; too much water is the reason khichdi turns into one sticky lump.
Indian
Mysore masala dosa
Mysuru in Karnataka gave its name to this bolder dosa: a slightly thicker, golden crêpe that is crisp outside and soft inside, painted with a hot red chutney of dried chillies, garlic and roasted chana dal before the potato palya goes in. The chutney melts into the dosa as it cooks, so every bite has a sweet-spicy, garlicky kick. In Mysuru's old cafés it's served flat and folded, with coconut chutney to cool things down. Chef's tip: use Byadagi or Kashmiri chillies for the chutney; they give a deep red colour without blowing your head off, so you can spread it generously.
