Kısır (Turkish Bulgur Salad)
Here’s an easy yet wholesome dish that requires no cooking, comes together in under 30 minutes and is packed with flavour. Kisir, the Turkish Bulgur Salad, is in essence similar to a Tabbouleh. However, rather than a herb salad with a little bulgur, the bulk of Kisir consists of soaked fine bulgur which is then flavoured with a spicy red pepper paste alongside many other aromatic ingredients.
Ingredients
- 300 g fine bulgur
- 5 spring onions
- 3 medium tomatoes (400g)
- 80 g pickled cucumbers or cornichons
- 80 g flat-leaf parsley
- 20 g mint
- 1 garlic clove
- 60 g tomato paste (2 tbsp)
- 60 g turkish hot pepper paste (aci biber salcasi) (2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp pul biber
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 baby gem lettuces
Instructions
- Add the bulgur to a heat proof bowl and mix together with 300ml boiling water. Set aside for 10 minutes until the bulgur has absorbed the liquid and softened a little.
- In the meantime, finely slice the spring onions and cut the tomatoes and pickled cucumbers into small dices. Finely chop the parsley and mint. Peel and grate the garlic.
- When the bulgur has softened and cooled down slightly, knead in the tomato paste, pepper paste and 1 1/2 tsp salt until the bulgur has turned evenly red. Then add the chopped and all of the remaining ingredients apart from the lettuce and mix well to combine. Separate the lettuce leaves and use them to line the rim of a platter or plate. Then serve the Kisir in the middle of the platter and eat the salad by scooping a spoonful onto a leaf for every bite.
Notes
Although not traditional, you can add 100g chopped walnuts to turn this into a complete protein.