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TABOULE
This dish or salad originated in Lebanon, although there is a variation from the syrian as well as the turkish cuisine. The main ingredient is bulgur and parsley where the grains are soaked in water until they have fully expanded and become soft and then mixed with other ingredients. This is normally served as an appetizer but some serve this as by dish or main course.
In this post, I have prepared it today as by-dish for the stuffed cabbage which I cooked a couple of weeks ago. I usually store half of my cooked dishes, freeze them for later use. During my marathon cooking, I cook 4 or 5 dishes or so, cooking in advance per se , take one frozen dish each time we need. I do not need to cook daily or spend a lot of time in the kitchen.... and we have a choice of a great meal each day.
BULGUR
Bulgur is a mixture of various wheat types that are precooked. They are very popular in the Mediterranean region and can be classified into 2 categories. The fine grain in Turkey is called köftelik and the coarse grains are called pilavlik bulgur. The coarse one like the variety I used here, is sometimes mistaken for a rice, although I find bulgur has its distinctive taste that an asian may differentiate right away. Bulgur is heavier in consistency and filling the stomach, whereas rice is lighter to eat.
Today, I am serving the bulgur like the style of the taboule not as a salad but as by-dish. The difference is... I didn´t add tomatoes and mint. The bulgur can be prepared even without cooking because the grains were precooked. Soaking the grains in water for about 20-25 minutes would make it soft and ready for the taboule (salad). Here, I cooked the grains for a faster preparation. Some preferred lesser bulgur but more of chopped parsley.
BULGUR ( THE BY-DISH)
Ingredients (Serves 4)
2 cups bulgur, coarse grain, boiled
a handful of fresh parsley, leaves picked, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, cut into small pieces
5 shallots or scallions, chopped coarsely
juice of 1/2 lemon
olive oil
salt and pepper
Preparations
Prepare the ingredients according to the above measurements and instructions. The preparation is similar to Stir-fried Rice and is very easy. In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the crushed garlic til golden brown in color, add the shallots and the celery. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or til the shallots and celery become soft and glassy in appearance. Add the bulgur and the coarsely cut parsley , stir-fry til all are well mixed. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. This can be served hot.
I served this today with the Stuffed Green Cabbage below,....you can find the recipe here.
If there are any remainders of this side dish, I would simply put them in an airtight glass jar and when placed in the fridge, it can last up to 3 days.
Happy Cooking!
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