Bulgur pilaf in red sauce – Pilafi

A bulgur pilaf flavoured simply with the sweetness of onions, tomatoes and cumin. If you are looking for an easy meal with minimum ingredients but full of flavour then this is it! Bulgur pilaf is one of my favourite sides to accompany a meat dish but it can also be sufficient on its own with just some salad and yoghurt. 

In Cyprus we call it “pourkouri” or “pligouri” or “pilafi” and is one of the most common dishes they serve when you eat out at the taverns… Together with lots more other dishes as always. One of my favourite combinations would have to be with marinated pork meat with coriander and wine, called afelia.

Bulgur is essentially cracked wheat, slightly boiled and then dehydrated. Hence, it’s quite quick to cook! Duru is the brand that is more readily available at the shops in Australia. There are different types of bulgur available based on the grain size: extra fine, fine, medium, coarse or extra coarse. I typically prefer the medium grain as it has more texture but my family prefers the fine grain.

When cooking with bulgur, each grain size requires different amounts of water to cook, so you can’t just substitute the type of bulgur in this recipe without changing the amount of water needed. Lastly, the bulgur in this recipe results in a more wet texture. If you prefer a fluffier drier final result, then you can use 3 cups (750mL) of water instead of 4 cups (1L)

For more vegetarian/vegan creations, traditional and non, check out this link!