Simple Bulgur Pilaf

Bulgur Pilaf nutty, chewy, earthy- whole grain, fiber rich- Bulgur pilaf is an incredibly delicious alternative to cooked rice or quinoa making it an excellent grain to add in your grain bowl. Turkish Bulgur also called Kisir is made with cracked whole grain wheat berries that are partially cooked and dried. This makes it easy, convenient to cook—because the cracked wheat berries are partially cooked (a bit instant rice), so all you need to do is rehydrate and finish cooking them. 

Ingredients

• Bulgur: look for coarse bulgur. Something like this should work. Also checkout your local Middle Eastern market, they’re normally better priced and have more choice.
• Olive oil
• Ground Cumin
• Tomato paste
• Water or Broth
• Onion
• Roast pepper paste
• Fresh veggies of your choice: peas, bell pepper, green onion. we kept it plain for this recipe.

How To Cook Bulgur for Pilaf

Saute the onions and veggies including spices in olive oil. I stick to following the instructions on the package to cook perfectly. To make bulgur salad, precook and allow it to cool to room temperature. To serve as a side dish keep it warm. Because cooking times vary, the instructions in the recipe is based on the package instructions of the brand I used. It normally takes about 8-10 minutes for coarse bulgur to cook. To cook 1 cup of dry coarse bulgur wheat, you’ll need 1 ½ cups of liquid water or broth. You’ll end up with about 2 cups of cooked bulgur for 1 cup dry bulgur.

Fine bulgur wheat (used for tabouli salad ) doesn’t need to be cooked at all, and can be soaked for 10 to 15 minutes to hydrate.

Bulgur is not gluten-free, if you’re gluten intolerant, you should avoid bulgur.

• ▢2 cups coarse Turkish Bulgur Wheat dry (I used Turkish Bulgur)
• ▢3 cups broth or water
• ▢3 Tbsp tomato paste
• ▢2 tablespoons roasted red pepper paste
• 1/2  tsp. Cumin powder
• ▢1 tsp. sea salt or to taste
• ▢2 Tbsp  olive oil 
• 3/4 cup green onion chopped
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1/3 cup purple onion
• 2 tablespoons Jalapeño Pepper optional if you like spicy

Instructions

• In a bowl, soak the bulgur with the boiling water for 20-30 minutes, mixing occasionally until they are soft and tender. Bulgur should not be chewy.
• Meanwhile dice and chop all your ingredients.
• In a frying pan bring the olive oil, salt, tomato and pepper paste to simmer and keep cooking on low for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally to form a creamy tomato paste base. Turn off the heat.
• Add in the bulgur and mix to coat well with the tomato paste. Allow the bulgur to cool down for about 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, add in all the salad ingredients with the bulgur, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and cumin. Taste to see if you prefer to add more salt.
• Serve right away or cool in the fridge to serve cold.

Notes

1. Don’t skip soaking the bulgur. It will take between 20 an 30 minutes and will require a couple of stirs. The grains should be soft and tender, not chewy.
2. Avoid using coarse or extra-coarse bulgur, since the cooking instructions are different. If that’s what you have then be sure to follow the directions on the packet to prepare it.
3. Make it ahead of time. Once the salad has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an air tight container and it will keep well for 3 days in the fridge.