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Sunday 12 August 2007

Bulgur Pilaf

What is Bulgur?
Often confused with cracked wheat, bulgur differs in that it has been pre-cooked.
Bulgur holds a place in recipes similar to rice or cous cous but with a higher nutritional value.
This Middle Eastern staple sounds more exotic than it is; bulgur is what's left after wheat kernels have been steamed, dried, and crushed. This cereal grain has been a food staple for years because it offers an inexpensive source of low-fat protein, making it a wonderfully nutritious addition to your low-calorie meal plan.

bulgurpilaf2
Bulgur Pilaf



High in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories, bulgur is another food that offers bulk and nutrients to fill you up without adding pounds. One thing to keep in mind, a cup of bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, and more than twice the fiber of brown rice.
Often confused with cracked wheat, bulgur differs in that it has been pre-cooked.
Bulgur holds a place in recipes similar to rice or cous cous but with a higher nutritional value.

Bulgur Pilaf:

Ingredients:
Bulugur : 2 cups
Bay leaves : 2
Onions : 1 big, finely sliced
Green Chilies : 5, finely chopped(adjust acc. to your taste buds)
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 Tbsp
Carrots : 2 finely chopped
Potatoes : 2 finely chopped
Green peas : 1 cup, frozen
Tomatoes : 2, finely chopped
Mint leaves : 2 Tbsp, chopped
Coriander Leaves : 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Salt, to taste
Garam Masala : 2 tsp
Oil : 2 Tbsp
Water : 3 1/2 cups

Method:
  1. Heat oil in a wide saucepan, add bay leaves, mint leaves, onions and green chilies.
  2. Fry for 2 mins and add ginger garlic paste. Fry till golden brown.
  3. Add carrots, potatoes, garam masala and salt. Fry till half done.
  4. Add tomatoes, and green peas. Fry for 5 mins
  5. Then add the bulgur and water. Adjust salt.
  6. Add coriander leaves and cook covered till done.
  7. Serve hot with Raita.
bulgurpilaf1
Bulgur Pilaf



And the Verdict:
Healthy and Nutritious with lots of fiber.
A comfort meal on a cloudy and lazy evening!

18 comments:

Laavanya said...

I love the texture of bulgur. Your pilaf is very good.

Priya said...

I've been planning on trying bulgur for quite sometime now. your recipes sounds seriously yummy...will buy some bulgur asap :)

TBC said...

Pilaf looks good!I've never bought bulgar before.Maybe I should try now.

Suma Gandlur said...

This one is really healthy and nutritious.

archana said...

This looks a good entry for express cooking. Why don't you send it?
I always thought bulghur is cracked wheat :)Nice recipe :)

Sharmi said...

that is quite new and nice. very healthy looking too.

Viji said...

Yes Cinnamon, you are correct. High in nutrition and here people consume more. Interesting recipe. Viji

Saju said...

I love it, healthy and tasty too. I do have a recipe for Bulgur Pilau on my blog.
http://chachiskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/12/bulgur-wheat-pilau.html
Do check it out.

Dee said...

my mother makes it often for herself, she loves it!

Unknown said...

Laavanya, Thank You.
Priya.. its very nutritious.. worth trying :)
TBC, u should, and when u do, let me know how u liked it :)
Suma, yes it is indeed!
Archana..ya i could, I dint get that thought. Thanks for suggesting!
Sharmi, Viji, Thank You!
Saju, I checked ur version, it is very good!
Dee, I loved it too :)

SeeC said...

This is quite new to me. Nice definition about bulgur.

Lovely recipe, very inviting. Love the colour

Cynthia said...

I must try this sometime. I see it on the imported shelf on the supermarket here...

Suganya said...

I have only tried tabbouleh with bulgur. Time to make pulao, I guess.

Sig said...

I have bulgar at home, never thought of making pilaf though... I like this recipe, though I might need to add some more spice :)

Raaga said...

I made something similar with dalia last week. Yours looks lovely.

Pooja V said...

Like many even i always thought bulgur is cracked wheat. it rocks.

Padma said...

Cool, my DH loves cracked wheat in any form...this is and added thing on the list...

Openbox S9 said...

I made this with the beef broth. I thoroughly enjoyed the recipe, but it is a bit much for just one person to eat. I don't know if it's my crackpot, but this was done WAY before the 6-8 hours required.