Bulgur wheat is staple of Middle East. This cracked wheat is rich in fiber and it comes in different grain size. For pilaf, it is used number three or coarse bulgur. My paternal grandfather was from Iskenderoun or Alexandretta, Turkey. It is a port city, Armenians lived there for about 3,200 years and the only thing is left to my family after the Armenian genocide are the nostalgic stories. My grandfather talked about the oranges of Iskenderoun. Being a port city and the mild weather, the Armenians who are from there had built churches, and their cuisine starch was predominantly bulgur. This recipe, I grew open enjoying paired with jajik which is a cold yogurt soup.
How to Prepare
Ingredients
- 1 cup large coarse bulgur
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ cup chopped tomato
- 2 cups of boiled water
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 3 tsp butter
- Salt to taste
Direction
- Rinse bulgur well.
- Heat the olive oil and add the onions cover the lid to sweat first to save some of the moisture just about few minutes.
- Remove the lid, add the tomatoes, salt and butter, allow the tomatoes to immerse with the onions for few minutes.
- Add the rinsed bulgur allowing to absorb the juices into the bulghur just for a minute or two.
- Add the boiling water and mix once and cover the lid for about 20 minutes. Checking once in a while with a small mix each time.
