Kisir

• servings: 4-6

Ingredients

350 g fine bulgur wheat (fine couscous would also work here)

240 ml hot water

4 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 green onions, finely chopped (all of the whites, then add the greens to taste)

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or more lemon juice)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp red pepper paste (turkish paste if possible, or just do another tbsp tomato paste)

2 tsp aleppo pepper flakes (also called halaby pepper, pul biber)

Small bunch of parsley, chopped

Salt & black pepper to taste

Directions

Add the bulgur wheat, pepper flakes, tomato & red pepper pastes, chopped onion, and a tsp of salt & black pepper to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly, using your hands to ensure the pastes are spread around sufficiently.

Pour the hot water over the mixture and stir, then let it stand for 15 minutes. The bulgur wheat should absorb all the water during this period.

Add the lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and extra virgin olive oil and mix thoroughly again.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix again. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

A specialty in the southeast of Turkey, this simple bulgur wheat salad has just the right of acidity and spiciness to keep you wanting more. Bulgur is made from cracked whole grain wheat berries that are partially cooked, then dried. This is typically served in Turkey as a side dish, where the salad is rolled up into balls as served sitting atop crunchy lettuce leaves. The citrusy and spicy aleppo pepper really shines through here. To make this a main dish, I would add some sort of meat or beans as a protein to make it more filling.