A Muslim dish which has some resemblance to the North African couscous. It is prepared with white or off white coloured wheat, but the regular wheat can also be used.
500 gms white wheat
250 gms boneless chicken
2 meeium-sized onions, chopped
5-cm stick cinnamon, broken into pieces
1 ½ tsp salt
4 tbsp + 6 tbsp ghee
1 heaped tbsp sultanas (kishmish)
1 heaped tbsp cashewnuts
10 shallots, chopped
Method of Preparation of Alisa
Wash wheat and chicken, and drain. Cot chicken into 1-cm pieces.
Place wheat, chicken, onions, cinnamon, salt , 4 tbsp ghee and 5 litres water in a heavy-based pan and cook, stirring frequently, for about 40 minutes till wheat is well cooked and soft, and water has evaporated. Transfer to a wide platter.
Heat 6 tbsp ghee in a pan, add sultanas and fry till they puff up. Remove from pan, drain and set aside. Add cashewnuts and fry till golden brown. Remove from pan, drain and set aside. Add shallots to pan and fry till brown.
Make a shallow depression in the centre of the alias and pour in the ghee and fried shallots. Garnish with reserved sultanas and cashewnuts.
