Bulgur - what is this cereal, and how to cook it?

Bulgur is a fairly popular cereal found on tables in the Middle East and the Mediterranean. There it is considered to be the most used side dish for meat, fish and vegetable dishes. In our country, groats are little known, but those who managed to feel its piquant taste and feel a delicate nutty flavor try to find various recipes for making bulgur.

Bulgur - what is it?

Bulgur is a cereal from wheat, which is collected at the time of dairy maturity, dried and freed from the husk, which can subsequently be crushed. Outwardly, bulgur resembles corn grits. During cooking, it grows strongly in volumes, so it is considered very economical.

The cereals under discussion have a pleasant, slight nut flavor. It is well absorbed by the body and normalizes metabolism. Bulgur is saturated with a large number of vitamins: B1, B2, B6, B9, A, E, K and trace elements: copper, phosphorus, iron, potassium, sodium. The calorie content of dry cereals is about 344 kcal per 100 grams. Bulgur contains unsaturated fatty acids, saccharides and fiber.

How to cook bulgur grits for garnish?

On a side dish, grits are cooked in water. Before this, you can fry it a little in butter, so that the porridge acquires a special taste.

To begin with, melt 60 g of butter in a pan. Next, add 1 cup of cereal and fry for about 2-3 minutes. At the same time, you can pour 2 cups of water into the pan and put on fire. As soon as the water begins to boil, we pour the cereal fried in oil and cook for about 20-25 minutes. It is necessary to stir constantly, since porridge absorbs liquid well. Salt to taste.

Such a side dish can be served with meat, fish, vegetable and even sweet dishes.

The recipe for pilaf with meat and bulgur

Pilaf with bulgur comes out much juicier and more satisfying than with rice. It can be cooked with absolutely any meat: chicken, pork, beef, duck, turkey.

Read also: bulgur recipe

Ingredients:

• pork neck - 550-600 g;
• bulgur - 360 g;
• onion - 1 piece;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• garlic - 1 piece;
• coriander - 6-7 peas;
• vegetable oil - 90 g;
• salt, black pepper - to taste.

Stages of cooking:

1. Release the onion from the husk, cut into small slices. Pour in a cauldron of sunflower oil, place the onion. Fry for 2-3 minutes, so that it finds a golden hue.
2. Peel the carrots, grate it coarsely. Dip into the cauldron and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Rinse the meat in running water and cut into medium cubes. Lay in a cauldron and fry a little, always stirring. Add salt and black pepper. Then pour 1 liter of water, put a whole head of garlic, stew for 16-19 minutes.
4. Rinse a little cereal in water and pour it into a cauldron, spreading it over the surface. If there is little water, then you need to top up so that the water covers the groats by 1 cm. Reduce the heat, add coriander, if necessary, add a little more salt and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the porridge absorbs water.
5. Mix everything and serve.

To give spiciness, the dish can be decorated with chopped pepper pod. The dish goes well with a salad of fresh vegetables.

Cooking cereals with vegetables - step by step recipe

Bulgur with vegetables is an amazingly delicious second course, which takes quite a bit of time to prepare.

Ingredients:

• bulgur - 210 g;
• eggplant - 1.5 pieces;
• onion - 1 piece;
• bell pepper –1 piece;
• tomato - 1 piece;
• olive oil - 2.5 tbsp. l .;
• butter - 32 g;
• cinnamon - a pinch;
• salt, black pepper - to taste.

Stages of cooking:

1. Cut eggplant, pepper, tomato into medium cubes. Onions - rings.
2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and throw a pinch of cinnamon in it. Then pour the chopped vegetables and fry for 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Transfer the roasting to a clean bowl.
3. Heat the butter in a pan and lower the bulgur into it. Fry for about two minutes. Then pour some water and extinguish for about 9 minutes.
4. Transfer the prepared cereals to vegetables and mix everything well, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Serving to the table, the dish can be decorated with greens - parsley, basil. Such a meal is suitable on fasting days, if instead of butter, use ordinary sunflower.

How to cook bulgur in a slow cooker?

Cooking cereals in a slow cooker is very simple. Everyone can handle this, it is important to observe the proportions in the ratio of water to cereals, so that viscous porridge does not turn out.

To do this, you must:

1. Take about 40 grams of butter and melt it in a crock-pot in the "Frying" mode.
2. Pour a glass of cereal and fry until a light nutty flavor appears.
3. Pour a couple of glasses of water, add salt, cover with a lid and set the mode on the “Porridge / Stew” multicooker for 16-19 minutes.
4. At the end of the process, the dish can be left in the bowl for another 20 minutes so that the croup is finally steamed.

For a special taste, you can add a pinch of cinnamon during the “Porridge / Stew” regime, thereby making the porridge aroma even more refined.

Tabule - bulgur salad recipe

Tabule is the most popular bulgur salad in oriental cuisine.

Ingredients:

• Bulgur - 160 g;
• tomato - 2 pieces;
• parsley - 1 bunch;
• cilantro - 1 bunch;
• green onions - 7 feathers;
• lemon - 1 piece;
• olive oil - 24 g;
• salt to taste.

Stages of cooking:

1. Pour bulgur with hot water and salt. Cover and let it brew for about an hour. Then drain and cool the cereal.
2. Cut the tomatoes into small pieces and transfer to a bowl.
3. Finely chop the parsley, cilantro, green onion, and add everything to the tomatoes. Pour olive oil and squeeze lemon juice. Add salt to taste.
4. Attach the cooled bulgur and mix gently.

It is advisable to cool before serving. The dish is very light and satisfying. In Armenia, food is eaten scooping with lettuce. It can be used in fasting.

How to cook soup with cereal?

Soup with bulgur is very satisfying and tasty, and most importantly useful. It can be cooked with any meat.

Ingredients:

• beef meat - 260-330 g;
• Bulgur - 5 tbsp. l .;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• potatoes - 320 g;
• vegetable oil - 15 ml;
• salt, spices - to taste.

Stages of cooking:

1. Wash the meat first and then cut into small cubes. Put a pot of water on the fire, bring to a boil and lower the meat into it. Cook for 15 minutes.
2. Peel potatoes, cut into small cubes. Dip together with the grits in water and cook for about 15 minutes. Potatoes and cereals are cooked equally in time.
3. Thinly chop the onion. Finely grate the carrot on a grater. Put everything in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Fry for five minutes, stirring regularly.
4. Five minutes before cooking, put the fried vegetables in the soup.

Serving a dish to the table, you can sprinkle it with fresh herbs - parsley, green onions, dill. This soup is perfect for a children's table, because it is light and very nutritious.

Bulgur is a gourmet dish that can be found in almost all restaurants in the Middle East. It can also be easily prepared at home, if you follow the recipe. Its taste and aroma will delight guests of your home.