We consume a good amount of bulgur wheat in Turkish cuisine – in the form of salads, soups and pilaf rice – and I am always on the look out for spicing up bulgur. Packed with fiber and vitamins and low on fat, bulgur is a very healthy option and can be very delicious too. This time I experimented bulgur with sautéed mushrooms; the meaty, juicy flavor of mushrooms worked really well with bulgur. If you can add a few more vegetables into the mix and grate some parmesan (or any hard cheese you prefer) over, this dish could be a wonderfully satisfying, easy and delicious supper. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Serves 4- 6
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 20-25 minutes
4 garlic gloves, crushed and finely chopped
3 large Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
45gr/1/2 cup frozen peas
350 gr/12 oz bulgur wheat, rinsed and drained
600gr/1 pint/2 1/2 cups hot water
30ml/2 tablespoons olive oil – and an extra drizzle for the bulgur
A squeeze of lemon
5ml/1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Grated parmesan (or any hard cheese you prefer) to serve
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pan. Stir in garlic and chopped mushrooms, and season with salt generously (mushrooms and garlic go very well and the salt helps the water to come out of mushrooms). Sauté for 2-3 minutes until mushrooms soften and start to loosen up. Add the dried oregano and a squeeze of lemon and mix well. Turn the heat off, leaving it a side.
On a separate pot, drizzle a little olive oil and add the bulgur and chopped tomatoes, tossing thoroughly over low heat. Add the hot water, season with salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine thoroughly. Bring to boil for 1-2 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. At this time stir in the frozen peas to bulgur mixture and stir to combine. Then cover and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and add the sautéed mushrooms into the mixture and combine well. Cover the pan with a paper towel and press the lid on top. Leave to steam for a further 10 minutes.
Serve the bulgur pilaf with some grated parmesan over the top. You can serve some steamed vegetables by the side if you would like too.
Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem
I love bulgur wheat. I don't think I've ever tried it with mushrooms, but this sounds great – I might have to try it soon. If you stir it while cooking it goes almost creamy like a risotto. Yum.
Hello Elly,
You read my mind – when I was talking about this dish to my son, I was telling him that it has a similar texture to risotto with parmesan cheese being in it. And good news is, it has much less in it calories too (as much as I love risotto!)
I hope you enjoy it with the mushrooms,
Afiyet Olsun:)
Ozlem
Just made this and can confirm it is delicious. But I added the last of some Pine nuts I had with the braising Mushrooms and I can recommend that variation.
Merhaba Been, many thanks for your kind note – pine nuts would be lovely addition, nice crunchy texture, love them too. Glad you enjoyed the dish.
LOL I’m glad I enjoyed the dish too 🙂
Glad to hear it Been, thank you!
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. With two vegans and meat eaters in the household all enjoyed their dinner. I had never cooked with bulgur wheat before and was surprised at the lovely flavour, will make this a staple in our home. Thank you for the recipe, much appreciated.
Merhaba dear Sandra, so glad you enjoyed this bulgur pilaf – I love this wholesome grain too and so glad all family enjoyed it.
Just to let you know, my cookery book, Ozlem’s Turkish Table is now out with over 90 authentic recipes – you can check out this link for reviews and if you like to get a copy for yourself:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ozlems-Turkish-Table-Recipes-Homeland/dp/1912031949/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14MJPTSAL4H05&keywords=ozlems+turkish+table&qid=1560763091&s=gateway&sprefix=ozlems%2Caps%2C261&sr=8-1
Afiyet Olsun,
Ozlem