Bulgur Salad

I´m being adventurous again..this time I tried cooking and eating Bulgur. I saw this bulgur at Turkish groceries shop and again due to curiosity, I bought it and then googled what to do with it.

Wiki says :

Bulgur (also bulghur or burghul) is a cereal food made from several different wheatspecies, most often from durum wheat. Its use is most common in Middle Eastern cuisine and in Greece.

Bulgur can be used in pilafs, soups, bakery goods, or as stuffing. In breads it adds a whole grain component. It is also a main ingredient in tabbouleh salad and kibbeh. Its high nutritional value makes it a good substitute for rice orcouscous. In Indian cuisine, bulgur or daliya is also used as a cereal with milk and sugar. In the United States is often used as a side dish, much like pasta or rice. In meals, bulgar is oft mistaken for rice because it can be prepared in a similar manner. However, bulgar is closer in family to couscous than rice.

Nutrients facts: Compared to unenriched white rice, bulgur has more fiber and protein, a lower glycemic index, and higher levels of most vitamins and minerals.

So basically Bulgur is much more nutritious compared to white rice, but I´m a Malay, I would always fancy white rice despite whatever...hehehe. Bulgur ni tak sedap, tak kena ngan tekak tapi as I said, I like to try new thing, so kena la makan bagi habis. As expected, no one in my family is interested in eating Bulgur Salad I made, so nampaknya sehari dua ni, my meal is officially bulgur la nampaknya!

Making this salad does not involve any cooking. Just you have to soak the bulgur in 1 cup of boiling water then leave it until all the water is absorbed.

Bulgur sebelum direndam dlm air

Bulgur setelah direndam dlm 1 cup boiling water

- semua air diserap dan bulgur kembang 2 kali

I took the recipe from Kalyn´s Kitchen.

1 cup bulgur
1 cup boiling water
zest of one lemon (optional, but good)
3 T fresh lemon juice
3 T olive oil
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used curly parsley, but either type will work)
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup sliced green onions
3 cups chopped tomatoes
1 1/4 cup chopped cucumbers
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Measure out 1 cup bulgur into a bowl big enough to hold the finished salad. Add 1 cup boiling water, stir, and let bulgur soak until all the water is absorbed. (The recipe said 30 minutes, but I soaked the bulgur about 80 minutes, which made it nice and fluffy.)

While bulgur soaks, zest one lemon and put zest into a small bowl. Squeeze lemon juice into bowl, adding more if needed to make 3 T lemon juice. Add finely minced garlic, then whisk in 3 T olive oil. When bulgur has absorbed all the water, stir in this dressing and let marinate while you chop herbs and veggies.

Wash parsley and mint and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Chop herbs and slice green onions and stir into bulgur. Peel cucumbers and remove seeds if the seeds are big. (I had garden cucumbers, so I left the seeds in.) Dice cucumbers and tomatoes into pieces about 1/2 inch, then gently stir into salad. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve.