Vegetarian Bulgur with Peasالبلغر مع البزالية

When my friends invited me for grilled kabob, I decided to make this dish to take with me. It is perfect to serve with meat kabob or vegetable kabob.

1 ½ cup coarse bulgur

1 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 teaspoon Arabian spice (bahar)

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup frozen peas

½ cup pitted black olives

¼ cup water

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt, and drop the bulgur in the water. Leave it to boil for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the stove and pour the bulgur into a colander to drain.

In a deep pan, heat the oil and sauté the onions. Season with salt and spices. Add the peas and stir. Simmer for 5 minutes and add the black olives. Add the bulgur to the onion and peas mixture and add ¼ cup of water. Cover the pan and leave it to simmer on low heat for 15 more minutes until bulgur is soft. Check if it needs more salt.

Serve it with cucumber yogurt salad and pickles.

If you cook this recipe as a side dish, you can serve it with grilled kabob, or grilled chicken.

Bulgur with Mushrooms

 I listed Arabian spice in this recipe. It is called Seven Spices or Syrian Spice too. You can find it in the Middle Eastern grocery stores, or purchase it online from this website (www.nutsonline.com). It is very aromatic and you can use it instead of plain ground black pepper.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

½ cup onions, chopped

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Arabian Spice

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

½ sup water

1 ½ cup coarse bulgur (no.3 or 4)

In a pot, bring water to a boil and drop the bulgur. Turn off the heat and leave it in the hot water to soften for 10 minutes.

Pour the oil in another pot and sauté the onions. Add the mushrooms, and season with salt and spices. Stir for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are cooked. Add the tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil.

Strain the bulgur in the colander, and add it to the mushroom. Stir until well coated. Cover, the pot and simmer for 20 minutes until the sauce is absorbed by the bulgur. Check it needs more salt.

Serve it with chopped scallions, sliced pickles and tomatoes. It tastes even better at a room temperature.