Weekend Australian Recipes Saturday 26 february Burghul

Burghul

A nutritious staple in the Middle East, burghul (or bulgur) wheat consists of wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and crushed, which enables it to readily absorb moisture. Burghul, has a tender, chewy texture and comes in either medium and fine grinds. It makes an excellent wheat pilaf and is the perfect grain for tabbouleh. It is also great in soups, and in meat or vegetable dishes, as with kibbeh. For use in tabbouleh the grains need to soak for 30 minutes and can then be used without further cooking. After soaking and draining them I usually wrap the grains in a cloth and squeeze well to rid of any excess moisture.

Carrot and burghul wheat pilaf (pictured)

1 onion, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

175 g burghul wheat

300 ml chicken or vegetable stock

1 organic carrot grated

200 g baby spinach leaves

2-3 tablespoons roughly chopped mint leaves

Crème fraich, to serve

Heat the oil in a large saucepan pan and sauté the onion over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for an extra 2-3 minutes. The onion should be soft.

Tip the burghul wheat into the saucepan, pour over the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and let the burghul wheat simmer, covered, in the stock for about 15 minutes, until all the stock has been absorbed. Stir through the carrot and spinach. Turn off the heat and cover the pot and let sit for another 10 minutes. Stir the mint leaves through the pilaf. Serve with a dollop of crème fraice or sour cream. Serves 4

Tabbouleh salad

150g burghul wheat

About 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint

200g cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 spring onions, chopped

Juice 1 lemon

2- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Place burghul in bowl and cover with 450ml boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes then drain and squeeze out excess water by placing the drained burghul in a clean cloth and squeezing tightly.

Combine the burghul, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic spring onions and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour, then pour over the olive oil and toss well. Serves  4

Red lentil and burghul soup

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large brown onion, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

1.25 litres chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 cup red lentils

1/3 cup burghul wheat

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons each chopped fresh mint and basil

Yoghurt, to serve

Heat the oil in large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the onion, celery and garlic for about 7 minutes, or until softened. Add the chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute. Pour over the stock and bring to the boil. Add the lentils, burghul and tomato paste, stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the grains are tender. Add a little extra stock, if needed. Season to taste. Add the mint and basil leaves just before serving. Serve with a dollop of thick yoghurt. Serves 4