Alex's book of recipes

Kısır

Classic Turkish bulghur wheat salad with tomatoes and herbs.

ingredients

2 large onions, finely chopped

90ml olive oil

2 tbsp tomato paste

4 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

120ml water

400g medium bulgur wheat, thoroughly washed

1½ tsp pomegranate molasses

1 tbsp lemon juice

6 tbsp chopped parsley

3 spring onions, finely shredded

2 fresh green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and black pepper


extra spring onions and olive oil

seeds from 1 medium pomegranate

handful mint leaves, some whole and some roughly shredded

instructions

Place onions and olive oil in large pan and sauté on a medium heat until translucent (about 5m). Add tomato purée and cook for 2m, stirring continuously. Add the tomatoes, and simmer for another 4m. Add water, bring to boil, and stir in the bulgur. Stir well, cook for 30s, then remove from the heat.

Add molasses, lemon juice, parsley, spring onions, chilies, garlic, cumin, and some salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and leave to rest until the dish reaches near room temperature or slightly warm. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve garnished with spring onions, pomegranate seeds, mint leaves, and a drizzle of olive oil.

notes

You can use coarser sizes of bulgur wheat, but you may have to do some partial pre-cooking depending on the size.

recipe from: 'Plenty' by Yotam Ottolenghi