A key ingredient in many oriental dishes, a great substitute for rice or fine pasta, golden bulgur with a pleasant nutty flavor. This cereal has a grainy texture and is great for salads, pilaf, tabbouleh, for filling in pies and for thickening soups. Bulgur goes well with many herbs, spices, vegetables, so it can be used to make a nutritious, healthy fiber-rich side dish for main dishes.
Bulgur with spinach and tomatoes
This bright, aromatic, original recipe is very simple, despite the abundance of ingredients. You can serve the learned dish both as the main dish and as a side dish for fried meat, especially lamb.
You will need:
- 200 g bulgur;
- 12 cherry tomatoes;
- 10 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of balsamic vinegar;
- 1 teaspoon of harris;
- 3 ½ teaspoons of soft brown granulated sugar;
- 3 heads of onions;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 350 ml of chicken or vegetable broth;
- 400 g fresh spinach;
- ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
- ½ lemon;
- 12-15 mint leaves;
- salt pepper.
Cut the tomatoes in half and place in a single layer, cut side down, in a baking dish or baking sheet. Combine 4 tablespoons olive oil with balsamic vinegar and harrisa. Sprinkle the mixture over the tomatoes, then turn them so that they are cut up and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 ° C. Bake for about 40-45 minutes.
Finely chop the onion and fry in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the onions are translucent, add the minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few more minutes.
Pour the bulgur into a saucepan, pour in the broth, season with salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and leave for another 15 minutes for the cereal to become fluffy. Whisk lightly with a fork. This is the classic way to cook bulgur.
Cut off the tough stems of spinach, chop the leaves coarsely. Boil water in a saucepan, dip spinach leaves in boiling water and cook for 4 minutes. Drain through a colander and squeeze the leaves. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and fry the spinach quickly. Add it along with tomatoes, onions and garlic to bulgur.
Cut the remaining onion into half rings and fry in the remaining olive oil until golden and crispy. Add the cinnamon and the remaining sugar a minute before cooking, stir and squeeze the lemon juice. Stir again. Place on bulgur, garnish with mint leaves and serve.
Step-by-step recipe for bulgur with ginger and oranges
This simple side dish with an unusual taste will go well with beef, lamb and poultry cooked with oriental spices. The combination of orange with garlic and ginger gives it an interesting taste.
You will need:
- 2 oranges;
- 2 teaspoons of olive oil;
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced;
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of ginger root grated on a fine grater;
- 2 teaspoons of brown sugar;
- ½ cup chopped onions;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of soy sauce;
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1 cup bulgur
Remove the zest from one orange, squeeze the juice from both fruits. Dilute the squeezed juice with water until the total volume is 1 ½ cup. Heat the oil in a wide saucepan with a heavy bottom. Fry the garlic and ginger quickly, add bulgur, stir, pour in the diluted juice, season with salt and sugar, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until bulgur is tender and liquid evaporates. This will take 15 to 20 minutes. Add chopped onion, soy sauce, orange zest and stir.
In a dry skillet, fry the sesame seeds until golden, sprinkle with homemade bulgur and serve. Adding sesame seeds will not only decorate the dish, but also give it extra texture.
Homemade bulgur balls
Golden spicy bulgur balls can be used not only as a side dish, but also as a vegetarian snack. This is a good side dish that you can take on a picnic and eat with your hands.
You will need:
- 200 g bulgur;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 1 head of red onion;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of turmeric;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of caraway seeds;
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
- ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper;
- 20 g chopped fresh coriander greens;
- 80 g dried cranberries;
- 4 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- salt and pepper.
Cook the bulgur according to the instructions on the package. The groats should be soft and fluffy. Rinse the bulgur under cold running water to cool and remove excess starch. Cut the onion into small cubes. Preheat oven to 180C.
In a bowl, combine cereals, onions, eggs, dried cranberries, herbs, add spices - turmeric, cayenne pepper, cumin and cinnamon. Stir. Shape the resulting mass into small, tennis ball-sized balls. You need to make about 15 servings. Place the balls on a board and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large wide frying pan, fry the bulgur balls until golden brown. Place them in a baking dish and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Serve hot as a side dish and cold as a starter with yogurt, herbs and garlic sauce. You can choose the proportions of the sauce to your taste.
Bulgur and lentil salad
Warm delicious bulgur salad is a great addition to dishes cooked over an open fire. It will be a good side dish for kebabs, kebabs, meat, fish and grilled poultry.
You will need:
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 cup bulgur
- 5 cups of water
- 5 tbsp. tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1 head of chopped red onion;
- 1 eggplant;
- 3 tbsp. tablespoons of tomato paste;
- ½ teaspoon of tabasco sauce;
- 4 white onions;
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley;
- 1 long cucumber;
- 1 large tomato.
Place lentils in a saucepan, add 3 ½ cups of water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add bulgur, stir and cook without a lid for about 15 minutes. Turn off heat, cover again and leave for 5-10 minutes. This trick will allow you to get fluffy bulgur.
Cut the eggplants into small cubes, chop white onions. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, sauté the onions until translucent, add the remaining olive oil and add the eggplants. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the eggplants are golden. Add the tomato paste, add 1 ½ cups of water, add 1 teaspoon of finely ground salt and stir again. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplants are tender. Turn off the heating after 20 minutes.
Peel the cucumber, cut in half and free from seeds and cut into cubes. Cut the tomato in half, remove the seeds and also cut into cubes. Add sauteed vegetables, red onion, cucumber, tomato, tabasco sauce and parsley to the mixture of lentils and bulgur. Putting fresh vegetables in a salad should only be done if the mixture has already cooled down a little.
