Turkish Bulgur Pilaf
Coarse bulgur wheat toasted in butter with onion, tomato paste and stock, cooked until tender and fluffy.
Photograph credit: Tel sehriyeli bulgur pilav by E4024 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Don't Make These Mistakes
Toast the bulgur in the butter first.
Use coarse bulgur, not the fine grade.
Do not lift the lid while it steams.
Rest the pilaf before serving.
Making Turkish Bulgur Pilaf
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Melt the butter in a pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.
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Add the bulgur and stir for 2 minutes until coated and fragrant.
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Pour in the hot stock, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 12 minutes.
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Rest off the heat, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Why the Method Works
Toast the bulgur in the fat. That is the single most useful instruction for any pilaf, and it matters most here, because bulgur that goes straight into the water turns soft and a little gluey, while bulgur coated in butter first cooks into separate, nutty grains.
Start by softening the onion in butter, then stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for a minute. It gives the pilaf a rich colour and a gentle savoury edge. Add the bulgur and stir for 2 minutes before any liquid goes in. You should smell a toasted, wheaty aroma.
Use coarse bulgur for pilaf. Fine bulgur is sold for salads and turns to mush with long cooking. The usual ratio is one part bulgur to about two parts of hot stock.
Cover and leave the pot undisturbed for 12 minutes, then rest off the heat for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Storage and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water.
What to Serve Alongside
- Plain yoghurt
- Grilled chicken
- Stuffed peppers
- Green salad
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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