How much to cook bulgur in soup and on the side: cooking cereals, a tasty and healthy recipe

In recent years, bulgur has become very popular. Since time immemorial, this cereal has been distributed in the Middle East, India and Pakistan. There she is called Dahlia. Today I will talk about the chemical composition and calorie content of the product, how much to cook bulgur and how to do it correctly, as well as share a recipe for delicious porridge based on it.

Did you know? This cereal has been known since biblical times. Mentions of it are found in the Second Book of Kings, the Book of Solomon parables, the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, and the Book of Nehemiah. And the first information about the Bulgur was obtained from cuneiform tablets of the era of the king of Assyria, who ruled in the 9th century BC.

Bulgur - what is this cereal

Bulgur is a cereal made from crushed wheat that has undergone boiling water treatment and subsequent drying. Soaking helps the beneficial substances contained in the shell to penetrate and saturate all layers of grains.

The chemical composition of cereals is rich and diverse. It helps make up for the lack of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc. It also contains fat-soluble vitamin K and water-soluble B vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine and folic acid.

The dry calorie content of bulgur is 342 kcal per 100 g. Proteins are present in a volume of 12.29 g, fats - 1.33 g, carbohydrates - 75.87 g.

The calorie content of boiled bulgur (on water) is significantly lower - 83 kcal per 100 g, BZhU - 3.08 / 0.24 / 18.58 g, respectively.

On a note. Crushed wheat has 1.5 times more fiber than buckwheat and 11 times more than rice. Due to this feature, bulgur is often included in the diet of older people suffering from constipation, and is also recommended for those who are inclined to be overweight and want to lose weight.

Cooking time, helpful cooking tips

To cook this cereal, it is recommended to take a pot or pan with a thick bottom, you can wok. So it will languish, and not boil violently. The first dishes with crushed wheat are best done thick, on a strong meat broth, reminiscent of traditional goulash.

Cooking time Bulgur in the soup is from 30 to 40 minutes. Croup is boiled about 4 times. This must be taken into account when preparing the first dishes in order to regulate their density. Large bulgur is better suited for these purposes.

Cooking time in the second dish is 25-35 minutes. For porridge, it is worth taking finely or semi-crushed wheat and liquid in a ratio of 1: 2 by volume (1 cup of bulgur for 2 cups of water). Then it will be moderately viscous. On the second, in addition to cereal, you can make pilav or Tabule salad from this cereal. For these dishes, as well as for soups, coarse-grained bulgur is better.

Regarding the preliminary soaking, the opinions of the chefs differ. Some advise holding it in cold water for about a quarter of an hour, which will help speed up cooking. Others do not advise doing this, claiming that it is better to fry the grains a little in butter or refined vegetable oil, and then cook. So the finished dish will get spicy "nutty" notes.

Krupa is best combined with tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers. From seasonings, star anise, thyme, marjoram, zira, cinnamon, rosemary, cardamom and cloves are suitable.

There are products with which bulgur does not "make friends" both in soup and in porridge. These are beets, cabbage, potatoes, eggs and dried fruits. Tarragon and paprika are “contraindicated” from seasonings. The latter can only be added in very small quantities.

The recipe for making porridge from bulgur

• Cooking time: 55 minutes.
• Servings Per Container: 5-6.

I propose to cook a delicious porridge with the addition of mushrooms. It can be served with a side dish for meat, poultry and fish, or as an independent dish.

Ingredients:

• bulgur - 250 g;
• fresh champignons (other mushrooms can be) - 500 g;
• onion - 1 pc.;
• water - 1 l;
• vegetable oil - 2-3 tbsp. l .;
• salt, herbs - to taste.

Operating procedure:

1. Rinse the cereals, put in a sieve to dry slightly.
2. Fry in diced onion in vegetable oil until soft, pour chopped mushrooms. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until they cease to secrete juice.
3. Enter the crushed wheat, hold over medium heat, constantly stirring, 5-7 minutes.
4. Pour in water, salt to taste. Reduce heat to a minimum and cook the dish under the lid for 25 minutes.
5. Let the porridge cook for a quarter of an hour and serve, sprinkled with herbs.

On a note. It is convenient to make this dish in a slow cooker. Fry mushrooms and onions in the “Baking” mode for a quarter of an hour, add cereal and cook for another 5 minutes. Then pour in water, salt, switch the device to "Buckwheat" or "Extinguishing". Recommended time is 35-40 minutes.