Bulgur Pilav (Pilaf)

I love the taste of bulgur and this pilav is no exception. It is flavored with red pepper paste and banana pepper along with other known flavoring ingredients. The pilav has a lovely taste and this is one of the more flavorful dishes I have made.

I made this dish as part of a Turkish meal. It was supposed to be a side dish in a meal dominated by Turkish pizza or pida. But the flavor of this dish won us over. It could easily work as a weekday lunch all by itself.

Recipe adapted from here

You will need
1 cup coarse bulgur
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 banana pepper
2 tbsp. red pepper paste
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 medium tomatoes
1 tsp. paprika (adjust to taste)
1 tsp. black pepper
2-3 mint leaves
salt to taste
1 1/2 cup water

Wash the bulgur, drain the water and keep aside. Dice the onion, green bell pepper and banana pepper separately. Chop the tomatoes. Julienne the mint leaves.

Heat oil in a pan and add the onion. When tender add the red pepper paste and tomato paste. Saute for a couple of minutes and add the tomatoes. When they are cooked through add the green bell pepper, banana pepper, black pepper, paprika, mint leaves, bulgur and water. Add salt to taste and adjust seasoning with paprika and black pepper.

Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes or until the bulgur is completely cooked through. At this stage all the water should be absorbed. Turn off heat. Cover with a kitchen towel and place lid over the towel. Leave it aside for 10-15 minutes before serving.