← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 200 g fine bulgur
• 250 ml boiling water
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 1½ tbsp Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Pul biber (Aleppo-style pepper flakes)
• 1 tsp Dried mint
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 40 g Parsley, finely chopped
• 15 g Mint, finely chopped
• 2 Tomato, finely diced
• 1 Cucumber, finely diced
• ½ red pepper, finely diced
• 1 little gem or romaine lettuce leaves, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Put the bulgur in a large bowl, stir in the tomato and pepper pastes and pour over the boiling water. Mix, cover with a plate and leave for 15 min until the water is absorbed and the grains are tender.
2. Fluff it with a fork, then knead in the oil, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, cumin, pul biber, dried mint and salt with your hands, so every grain turns red.
3. Fold in the spring onions, herbs, tomato, cucumber and pepper.
4. Taste and add more lemon or molasses until it is tangy and lively. Serve at room temperature, scooped into lettuce leaves.

Tips

• Bulgur is wheat, so this is not gluten-free; quinoa makes a good swap.
• It keeps well for 2 days in the fridge, so it is ideal for packed lunches.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Turkey's For Life Falasteeni Foodie