Burghul with Vegetables: here is a slightly oriental recipe, but so good and rich that it will soon become one of your dinner savers when you don’t have any ideas or you have unexpected guests.
Burghul, or Bulgur, is cracked wheat that comes from wheat grains that are steamed and dried, then ground and cut into small pieces. It is very widespread in the Middle East and its name derives from the Turkish bulğur meaning “boiled barley”. You can find it in stocked drugstores, at Castroni or oriental shops (I use the SOFRA brand). There is also a pre-cooked variant but I have never used it.
Ingredients (2-3 people):
- 100 g of Burghul
- 250ml of water
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 courgette
- 1 small aubergine
- 1 pepper
- 10-12 plum or cherry tomatoes
- Taggiasca olives
- Parsley
- Curry
- Fresh chili pepper
- olive oil, salt and pepper
- 1 lemon (zest)
Take a very large pan (the bigger the better) and put 3 tablespoons of EVO oil in it. Finely chop the onion and brown it well in the oil and add a small chilli pepper.
In the meantime, cut the vegetables into very small cubes and put them to stew progressively in the pan in order of hardness, from hardest to softest (in this case in this order: carrot + courgette and followed by aubergine + pepper).
Simmer them until they just soften. If necessary, add a little water or oil and at the end salt, pepper and add curry according to your taste. Add the chopped tomatoes.
Add the Burghul to the vegetables and let it toast and flavor for a few minutes, stirring occasionally and then add the water, lower the heat a little and let it cook, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water if you see it drying out too much and sticking. Let it cook until the water is completely absorbed and the desired Burghul consistency is reached.
Place the Burghul on a large tray (a layer of approximately 2 cm) and let it cool. Add the Taggiasca olives and plenty of parsley, a little grated lemon zest and a little raw EVO oil. Serve cold and you will see what a success! It will never be enough!
