Bulgur: the best recipes for cooking side dishes

Many people over the years do not introduce into their diet foods that are both very tasty and able to enrich the body with a whole complex element and vitamins, due to the inability to cook them. One of these options is Bulgur. You only need to know about all the most common ways of cooking.

In this article you will learn how to make bulgur crumbly, the basic recipes for preparing step by step and proportions.

Initially, it should be noted that, contrary to popular belief, this croup is not any overseas product. These are just wheat grains that have undergone a crushing process and have received, due to a special heat treatment, a certain nutty taste.

Selection of the type of bulgur directly depends on the dish that needs to be prepared. For example, coarse is used for coarse grinding, and for meatballs or salads, you need to focus on the opposite variety. If there is a need for an independent side dish, then in this case, use medium-sized grits.

Both taste, and preservation of useful properties directly depends on whether the cooking process took place correctly. According to experts, in this case there are two most common options: roasting in oil, followed by boiling, and cooking for a long period of time. On the territory of Russia the first version is distributed, and the second one is often used in the countries of Central Asia.

As for the preparation time, there is no exact indicator in this case: fluctuations from 8 to 15 minutes are observed.

The criteria that affect the cooking process are:

• the amount of cereals used;
• power of fire;
• the material from which the pan is made, used for cooking.

It is also not recommended to wash the cereal in order to avoid its subsequent swelling. If this option is contrary to the general rules of sanitation, you can use alternative options: lightly fry in a hot frying pan or put in a microwave for a couple of minutes.

Any side dishes with vegetables are perceived by many as a real storehouse of useful vitamins. There is a sufficient number of cooking options for bulgur, one of the most common, among which is Turkish soup. In order to cook the dish, you will need the following components:

• 150 grams of lentils and bulgur;
• about 2.5 liters of purified water;
• 2 tbsp. spoons (without slides) of tomato paste;
• 50 g of dried vegetables (you can buy ready-made mixes in the store);
• 1 teaspoon dried mint and basil;
• 2 tbsp. spoons of paprika (you can use seasoning in both fresh and dried form).

At the initial stage, lentils are soaked for several hours in cold water, and then washed thoroughly. The prepared product is laid out in a saucepan, poured with cold water and brought to a boil. After this, seasonings are added: dried basil and mint, tomato paste, paprika, and vegetables.

The next stage is reduced to the inclusion of bulgur in the overall composition of the dish. Soup must be salted and boiled until the bulgur is completely soft.

If there is a desire to organize a certain day in the Turkish style and prepare the appropriate dishes, It is recommended to pay attention to the Turkish salad, the main ingredients of which are:

• more than 2 glasses of bulgur (it is best to take finely ground cereal);
• 1 bunch of average thickness of parsley, mint and green onions;
• 3-4 pieces of green pepper (it should be of medium thickness) and tomatoes;
• 2 medium lemons;
• half a teaspoon of red and black pepper;
• about 100 ml of olive oil;
• a glass of filtered water;
• about 1 tbsp. spoons well-grated Bulgarian pepper.

Bulgur is filled with warm water, mixed well and left for a couple of hours to swell. At this time it is necessary to do the preparation of vegetables. Tomatoes are cut into cubes, all the greens, as well as pepper, should be chopped as finely as possible.

Lemon juice is squeezed into a separate, specially prepared container, vegetable oil is added to it. Pepper paste is also added to these ingredients, all other seasonings are mixed thoroughly.

The resulting sauce is used to fill the bulgur. To the base of the dish are added tomatoes, as well as chopped greens. All ingredients are dressed with sauce and mixed thoroughly.

The real vegetable bomb is bulgur, for the preparation of which such products will be needed:

• no more than 200 grams of bulgur;
• 1 sweet pepper and eggplant of medium size;
• 2 small tomatoes (it is better to give preference to red, rather than yellow varieties);
• 1 jar of olives (it is better to give preference to products without stones);
• 1 average parsley bunch;
• a couple of basil twigs;
• 30 g of butter and soy sauce;
• 20 g. Of olive oil.

The initial stage of cooking boils down to the fact that in the pan, without adding any fat, the roasting of pre-cut eggplants cut into medium cubes takes place, and tomatoes, peppers, and olive oil are added to them. Approximately 5 minutes after the start of preparation, the vegetable mixture is removed from the heat, transferred to another container, and the sliced ​​olives and basil are added to them.

Initially, it is necessary to put butter, bulgur into the pan itself, a certain amount of water is added. The dish is cooked until such time as full evaporation of water occurs. Pre-prepared vegetables, chopped parsley are added to the finished cereal; everything is seasoned with lemon juice and soy sauce.

The number of people who prefer the preparation of most products not in the traditional dishes, but in the slow cooker is constantly and largely increasing. Dishes, of which bulgur acts as a basic principle in this case are not an exception. One option can be considered spicy bulgur with chicken. To get the dishes will need:

• about 150 g of bulgur;
• 350 grams of chicken fillet;
• 4-5 cloves of garlic;
• 100 g almonds and dried apricots;
• 1 tsp. turmeric and coriander;
• a little salt, cinnamon and ground black pepper.

In order to prepare the dish, the slow cooker must be switched on to the mode most suitable for baking. Initially, garlic cloves passed through a press are poured out, butter is added and everything is cooked within 5 minutes. Chicken fillet is washed, slightly wetted with a paper towel is cut into small cubes or strips.

Dried apricots are initially boiled over and finely chopped. Almonds are also worth chopping as small plates as possible. It is necessary to add meat, dried fruits, and also bulgur to previously prepared garlic. After 5 minutes from the start of preparation, all ingredients are filled with water, salted, after which the lid should be lowered again. The dish is prepared for another half an hour, while it is important not to replace the regime itself.

Many people think that with the help of a slow cooker, you can cook only dietary, and therefore not quite satisfying dishes. Bulgur with meat is one of the exceptions. In order to create such a product, you must use the following ingredients:

• about 250 g of bulgur;
• half a kilo of beef;
• 50 ml of vegetable oil;
• medium bulb;
• greens (her choice depends on the personal preferences of the cook, as well as those for whom he prepares);
• about 120 grams of prunes;
• small carrot root vegetable;
• spice.

Pre-washed meat, cut into not too large pieces, is transferred to a slow cooker, poured with several cups of cold water. The onion is added and the mode necessary for preparation of soup is exposed. Cooking lasts for 30 minutes. Then the meat is removed, the broth is poured into a separate container. Then pour oil into the slow cooker, spread the sliced ​​onion and fry everything.

At the next stage, finely chopped prunes are added (in order to avoid bitterness, you must soak it in warm water for 20 minutes) and cereals. Everything is cooked for another 5 minutes; At the final stage, broth, spices and carrots are added. The lid is lowered and the cooking mode is replaced by the version that is used when cooking pilau.

Bulgur deservedly can be called a universal product, since almost any products can be used as a supplement to it. Initially, it should be noted that it is not often possible to find options for the preparation of this cereal with fish, as well as various seafood.

Those who have tried to experiment in this direction, notice that the result can be liked only by true connoisseurs of this category of products. If the desire to conduct experiments in this direction are present, it is possible to create a dish that you can like.

Different types of meat (fried, boiled, and stewed) can also give bulgur additional taste. No matter how paradoxical it may sound to many, the product in question can also be used as a basis for dessert, which means that the combination with fruit cannot be questioned either.

Thus, Bulgur acts as a true universal product, which is appropriate to apply with the aim of preparing various dishes.

The recipe for making pilaf from Bulgur from Ilya Lazerson, see the following video.