Categories: arab, side dish

Ingredients

• 2 cups fine dark bourghol
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 onions (350 g), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin
• 4 tomatoes (600 g), finely chopped
• 6 to 7 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
• 2 tablespoons tomato (see note below)
• 1 teaspoon or more Aleppo hot red pepper paste or few drops Tabasco
• 11/2 tablespoons dried and crumbled mint leaves
• 3 to 4 spring onions, white and green part finely chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
• For decoration (optional)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 tomatoes, one seeds removed, finely chopped, one cut like a flower

Directions

1. Fry onion in olive oil over low heat till tender but not colored, add cumin, black pepper, and fry few seconds more.

2. Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes.  

3. Add bourghol to the pan without washing it and cook few seconds while stirring.

4. Add pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, hot pepper paste, mint, and salt.

5. Stir mixture well, cover pan, and set aside till bourghol absorbs the liquid, stirring it after 20 minutes with a fork (at this stage the recipe may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated till needed).

6. Mix in parsley and chopped spring onion.

7. Spoon ingredients into a circle or cake pan of choice pressing on top.

8. Turn Itch to a serving plate, decorate top with chopped parsley and chopped tomatoes, and serve with lettuce leaves or on its won.

9. N.B.:  About ¼ cup or more of Dibs el Fleifleh (sweet red pepper paste from Armenian shops) may be added with the fresh tomatoes for extra taste; in this case do not use tomato paste.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back