Whole grain products are in great demand, because people who regularly consume them are not only less likely to gain excess weight, but also less likely to suffer from high cholesterol. Bulgur and couscous are whole grain semi-finished products that have been popular for centuries in the countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
How couscous and bulgur are made
Bulgr, also known as alal, bulgars and American rice, originated in the Middle East. Historians consider it to be one of the first processed foods. Bulgur is prepared like this - whole wheat grains are soaked, steamed, then part of the shell is removed, dried and crushed. Bulgur is small, medium and large. The first is often put in meat headlights, the second - one of the ingredients of such a popular dish as tabbouleh, large bulgur - is bought for pilaf, it is also put in soup, stews, and a side dish is prepared from it.
Couscous, or couscous, was known as early as 230 BC. He is originally from North Africa. To make couscous, unpeeled durum wheat is finely ground, poured into an even layer on a work surface and sprinkled with salt water, and then dusted with flour. Initially, couscous was made by hand, and it was exclusively female work. The women picked up ground wet grain in their palms and tossed it over and over again until it bunched into lumps, the lumps were sifted through a sieve and dried.
Together with wheat, grains of barley, sorghum, millet, corn are often put into couscous.
How couscous and bulgur are prepared
Since both couscous and bulgur are essentially semi-finished products, they need minimal pre-processing. To make couscous, most often it is enough to add it to lightly salted boiling water in a 1 to 1 ratio, cover and leave for 10 minutes. Then add vegetable oil and fluff slightly, stirring with a fork. After cooking, couscous almost doubles in volume.
There are couscous varieties that cook faster or take a little longer. You should always pay attention to the instructions on the packaging.
Bulgur takes a little longer to cook, requires more water and increases in volume much more. Pour 1 to 2 cold water over the bulgur, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook until the grains are tender. This will take 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the beans. From 250 grams of dry cereals, on average, about 700 grams of the finished product is obtained.
When cooking bulgur and couscous, salt is often not added at all, but spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or saffron are added.
What is made from couscous and bulgur
Couscous and bulgur are widely used. They can be served as breakfast porridge, adding dried fruits, honey, thick yogurt. The benefits of such a start to the day are obvious - after all, these are the very complex carbohydrates that nutritionists advocate. Substitute them for rice and pasta in soups and side dishes. Place in minced meat for meatballs, meat rolls and hamburgers. A delicious healthy dessert is obtained from couscous and bulgur, and, of course, there is a number of national oriental and Mediterranean dishes that can be properly prepared only with these cereal products.
