For a hearty main meal, accompany your meat or chicken dish, with a side of bulgur pilaf.
Ramadan is here. For me, it’s the most beloved month of the year, a very special month. We as Muslims, celebrate it in every way possible. Thus, there is a lot of things that makes it special. Ramadan is great because you will experience the hospitable and spiritual acts of our culture, a blissful month, the family gathering. A lot of memories about Ramadan are engraved in our hearts, and will be from year to year. I would like to share with you why is it special for me, one for every post through the end of the month, beginning with childhood memories.
I now believe that the more technological the world becomes, the greater the nostalgia for the days when life was simple. When those past never return days became the sweetest things in your life, where I have fond memories for charming Ramadan nights. Every night we agreed to meet after Iftar (the meal eaten by muslims after sunset), me and my best girlfriends. Celebrating Ramadan nights on our way, making fireworks from some kind of kitchen scrupping sponge and Not like todays fireworks.
How many times we burned our hair, our clothes…
Yes, but it has special kind of happiness, not even my kids nowadays will feel it, may be because it related with the past simple life we had.
If you’re looking for something lighter, healthier than rice, this will be perfect. This pilaf makes a delightfully different accompaniment to my roasted chicken. Nutty and little spicy but not hot. The ground meat adds more value to the pilaf, make it perfect for family gatherings, but you can make it with the meat too. I used the extra coarse grains, first pick it from any possible stones or dirts, then wash and soak for about 5-10 minutes. Sauté the grains first in olive oil for couple of minutes to add a toasty nutty flavors, then add the water. Continue with cooking like you cook rice.
What is Bulgur?
Bulgur is a kind of cracked wheat that is first boiled and then dried and roughly ground to produce the semi processed wheat known as bulgur.
It comes in different colors and grades. Fine, medium, course, and extra coarse. It can be bleached or unbleached.
Bulgur can be steamed or boiled, moistened with butter or oil. It’s texture is a little like brown rice, and it has a nutty, earthy favor.
How to use Bulgur?
The bulgur carries a lot of traditional Arabic flavors and makes an exciting change from your average rice dish. It can be almost as versatile as rice. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice or couscous, too. It features in everything from pilafs to stuffings. The coarsest grade is usually cooked like rice and used to make pilafs and stuffings. The finest grade is used in salads such as Tabbouleh, as well as being a key ingredient in the Lebanese national dish, Kibbeh.
Where to find bulgur in U.S.?
It can be found in natural food stores, Middle Eastern specialty grocers, and some traditional grocery stores. In large stores, like Wal-Mart, it can be found in specialty grain sections.
Bulgur Pilaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup course bulgur soaked in water for 5 minutes
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup ground be
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup pine nut, toasted
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon sumac
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Rinse the Bulgur well in cold water and then put it in a heavy pot with 1 1/2 times it’s volume of fresh water and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil and then simmer, covered, on low heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, add 2 tablespoon oil then the ground meat and onion, sauté on medium heat, cook for 10 minutes, add salt and pepper and the rest of spices, toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Add the meat mixer to the cooked wheat pilaf, stir gently to mix together, serve warm.
Serve with cardamom and oregano roasted chicken
البرغل المفلفل بخلطة اللحمه المفرومه
١ كوب من البرغل الخشن منقوع بالماء لمدة ٥ دقائق
٣ ملاعق كبيره زيت زيتون
١ كوب لحمه مفرومه
١/٢ كوب بصل مفروم
ملح وفلفل
١/٢ ملعقه صغيره بهار حلو
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره هيل مطحون
١/٤ ملعقه صغيره سماق
١/٣ كوب صنوبر محمص
٢ ملعقه كبيره بقدونس مفروم ناعم
نغسل البرغل جيدا وننقيه من الحصى والاتربه. في طنجره نضيف البرغل و مقدار مره ونص من الماء ونتركه يغلي، اي الكوب يحتاج ١ ١/٢ كوب ماء، نضيف ملعقه من الزيت والملح والفلفل . على نار هادئه ، نغطي الطنجره ونتركه ينضج، يحتاج ١٠ دقائق تقريبا
في مقلاه نضيف باقي الزيت واللحمه والبصل ونقلب ونتركه ينضج على نار متوسطه مع التقليب بين الحين والاخر، تحتاج لعشر دقائق لتنضج تماما، نضيف البهارات الباقيه
نضيف على خليط اللحمه الصنوبر والبقدونس المفروم، نخلط المقادير مع بعضها
ونضيفها الى البرغل المفلفل ونخلطها
تقدم وهي ساخنه
