Kısır

Name: Kısır
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Turkey
Ingredients: 250 g fine bulgur; 250 ml boiling water; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tbsp pepper paste (or an extra tbsp tomato purée); 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 tomatoes, finely diced; 4 spring onions, sliced; 1 bunch of parsley, chopped; 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint; 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 tsp chilli flakes (pul biber); 1 tsp ground cumin; Salt; Lettuce leaves, to serve

Local name : Kısır

The Turkish bulgur salad, fine bulgur swollen in tomato and pepper paste, brightened with mint, parsley and pomegranate molasses.

Vegan#bulgur#tomato#pomegranate#parsley#salad

Photo : E4024 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 10 min
Total: 30 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy

Method

Tip the bulgur into a bowl, add the boiling water, cover and leave to swell for 10 minutes.
Loosen the tomato purée and pepper paste in the olive oil, then work them into the warm bulgur by hand to colour every grain.
Add the cumin, chilli, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses and salt. Mix well.
Fold in the tomatoes, spring onions, parsley and mint.
Taste and adjust the sharpness. Serve cool in lettuce leaves, to eat by hand.

Unlike Lebanese tabbouleh, kısır is first and foremost a bulgur salad, with the herbs as seasoning. It keeps well and travels easily for a picnic.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories: 408 kcal
Protein: 9.8 g
Fat: 15.4 g
Carbohydrate: 64.5 g
Fibre: 10.7 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

How is kisir different from Lebanese tabbouleh?

Kisir is first and foremost a bulgur salad with herbs as seasoning, while Lebanese tabbouleh is a herb salad in which bulgur is a minor part. The proportions are reversed, and kisir adds tomato paste, pepper paste and pomegranate molasses.

Do I need to cook the bulgur?

No, fine bulgur simply swells under 250 ml of boiling water, covered, for ten minutes. Medium or coarse bulgur will not work this way and stays hard in the middle.

Why knead the tomato paste in by hand?

Working it by hand into still-warm bulgur is what drives the colour and flavour into every grain. Stirred with a spoon, the paste sits on the surface and the salad looks streaked rather than evenly red.

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