How to cook bulgur in a healthy and tasty way

Bulgur pilaf with chicken in a frying pan

Once you try to cook pilaf not with rice, but with bulgur, your ideas about tasty pilaf can change radically. It’s impossible not to fall in love with this pilaf from the first spoon! This cereal, absorbing fat, becomes very tender, but at the same time does not lump and retains its shape well. So you are guaranteed to get pilaf, and not porridge with meat. Chicken breast fillet is not suitable for this pilaf - it is a bit dry. But the thighs will be just right, but they must be cut into several parts and the bone removed. Then nothing will stop you from enjoying a delicious dish.

What we need for pilaf:

• chicken (thighs) - 2 pcs;
• bulgur - 1 glass*;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• spices for pilaf - 1 tbsp;
• tomato paste (or puree) - 1-2 tbsp;
• salt - 1-1.5 tsp;
• vegetable oil - 50ml;
• water - 2 glasses.

* glass = 250ml.

Number of servings: 5-6.

How to cook bulgur and chicken pilaf in a frying pan

1. Let's start by cutting up the chicken thighs. First we remove the skin from them, then cut the meat from the bones. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces, and simply cut the skin into 3-4 pieces. Why we need skin - explanation below.

   

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2. We clean the carrots, wash them and grate them on a coarse grater. Cut the onion into cubes.
3. We wash the bulgur several times, drain the water and set it aside.
4. Pour just a little oil into the frying pan. Heat it and put the skin there, fry it for several minutes so that the chicken fat is rendered out of it, then the pilaf will have a richer taste. We remove the skin from the frying pan, its mission is completed.
5. Add onions and carrots to the resulting fat and butter. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
6. Add the chicken, stir and fry everything together until the meat turns white and begins to brown.
7. Add spices, salt and tomato. If you have pasta, 1 tablespoon will be enough, if you have mashed potatoes or tomato sauce, you can use 2 tablespoons - in a word, to taste.
8. Fry for another 1 minute and add the bulgur.
9. Stir and fry again for 1 minute.
10. Pour in boiling water. We will need twice as much water as cereal. It is convenient to measure with one measure. In the frying pan, the water should cover all the ingredients of the pilaf by about 1 centimeter. First, cook without a lid over high heat.
11. When the water above the cereal and chicken has almost all evaporated, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and continue cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and the bulgur becomes soft.
12. At the end, mix the pilaf - it is ready.

Author: Victoria S.

With beef

For lovers of both satisfying and healthy dishes - a recipe with beef meat. Cooking time: half an hour Cooking: 1 hour. 20 minutes. Energy value:

• proteins - 14;
• fats - 16.3;
• carbohydrates - 14.8;
• calorie content - 272.

Ingredients:

• bulgur - 300 grams;
• pulp - 500 grams;
• carrots and onions 2 pieces each;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• bay leaf - 5 pieces;
• turmeric and cumin - 1 tsp each.
• vegetable oil - 6 tbsp.

Recipe:

1. Heat the cereal in a well-heated frying pan for a couple of minutes - this will add fluffiness to the pilaf.
2. We clean the beef meat from the filmy parts and cut into medium-sized pieces. Salt and pepper.
3. Fry the meat over high heat, add the diced carrots and onions.
4. The beef should become soft, this will take about half an hour.
5. Place the top layer of rice in a frying pan with zirvak.
6. Add spices, bay and 3 glasses of water. If necessary, liquid must be added.
7. After the pilaf has boiled, turn down the heat and cook for 30 minutes under the lid.

After the time has passed, carefully mix and serve. The finished dish can be sprinkled with chopped herbs.

Note to the housewife: you can cook turkey, lamb, rabbit and even nutria with bulgur.

Each of these recipes is adapted for any type of meat.

Pilaf with bulgur and chicken in a slow cooker

This is an unusual cereal, similar to a cross between rice and pearl barley, but softer and more pleasant to the taste. For many of us, such a dish may seem like a curiosity, but in eastern countries it has been prepared since ancient times. Usually beef or lamb is used, but we suggest using tender chicken breast. It will be juicy, because we will cook delicious pilaf in a slow cooker. All we need is to chop the vegetables and chicken, fry them until golden brown, add cereal and add water. Then set the desired mode and wait less than an hour until the aromatic bulgur pilaf with chicken becomes a reality.

Ingredients:

• chicken (breast fillet) – 300 g;
• bulgur – 1 tbsp.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• garlic – 2-3 cloves;
• spices for pilaf – 1 tsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.;
• water – 400 ml.

How to make pilaf from bulgur and chicken in a slow cooker

1. Chop the onion into half rings. Place it in the multicooker bowl, where vegetable oil has already been added. Turn on the “Frying” mode for 15 minutes. Lightly fry the onion for 3 minutes. Then add slices of chopped chicken to it. Fry in the same mode until golden brown. Cook the chicken with onions without closing the multicooker lid.
2. Peel the carrots and cut them into small strips or half rings. Add carrots to the bowl with the chicken. Season all ingredients with pilaf spices and mix. Continue cooking in the “Frying” mode for 5 minutes.
3. When the vegetables and meat are slightly browned, add a portion of bulgur to them. Let's mix.
4. Fill all ingredients with water (cereal to water ratio 1:2). Close the multicooker lid and set the “Pilaf/Stewing” or “Rice/Grains” mode for 45 minutes.
5. After the specified time, the cereal will be thoroughly boiled, and the delicious bulgur pilaf can be served.

Bulgur pilaf with tender chicken fillet will add a touch of surprise to your basic menu. Only satiety, nutritional value and appetizing will remain unchanged. Have fun!

Author: Marina

With vegetables and mushrooms

For those who believe that pilaf without meat is not pilaf, use this recipe and, believe me, it will cause rave reviews no less, and maybe even more, than the traditional meat one. Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 45 Energy value of the dish:

• proteins - 5;
• fats - 9;
• carbohydrates - 17.8;
• calorie content - 184.5.

Required Products:

• bulgur cereal - 200 gr;
• champignon mushrooms - 300 gr;
• Crimean onion - 1 head;
• carrots - 1 large;
• chopped greens - 50 g;
• olive oil - 100 g;
• spices for pilaf - to taste;
• water - 0.5 l.

Recipe:

1. Soak the bulgur in cold water for 20 minutes.
2. Cooking vegetables. Three peeled carrots on a coarse grater, chop the onion into thin half rings.
3. We wash the mushrooms well, remove any dark spots, and separate the stems from the caps. If the mushrooms are not large, cut them into 4 parts; if they are large, cut them into slices.
4. Heat the oil in a frying pan, fry the carrots, onions and mushrooms, add a little salt.
5. First put the vegetable mixture in the cauldron, then the cereal, add your favorite spices and fill with water.
6. Close the lid and cook on low heat for half an hour.
7. Sprinkle with dill and parsley.
8. In addition to dietary pilaf, a salad of fresh vegetables, as in the photo, is perfect.

Note: bulgur loves water, the optimal ratio is 1 to 3.

With minced meat

Judging by the reviews, this traditional Turkish recipe captivates with its non-standard taste and ease of preparation. If you use ready-made minced meat, the cooking time will take a minimum of time, and the result will exceed all expectations. You can also make homemade minced meat from any type of meat. Cooking time including preparation: one and a half hours Energy value of the dish:

• proteins - 8.7;
• fats - 7.4;
• carbohydrates - 13.5;
• calorie content - 164.

Products:

• minced chicken meat - 400 grams;
• cereal - 200 grams;
• 1 large onion and carrot;
• water - 3 glasses;
• sunflower oil - 3 tablespoons;
• curry - 0.5 tsp;
• barberry - 10 pieces;
• black peppercorns - 10 pieces;
• tomato paste - 1 tbsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook bulgur pilaf:

1. Chop onions and carrots. Pour oil into a frying pan and fry the vegetables for a few minutes.
2. Add the minced meat and mix well until smooth.
3. Salt, pepper, add sweet peas.
4. Simmer under the lid for several minutes until the color of the minced meat changes.
5. Dilute tomato paste in warm water (proportions 1 to 2). Pour into the pan and simmer everything together for 5 minutes.
6. We wash the bulgur under high pressure and add it to the meat.
7. Fill with enough water, add barberry and curry, add salt to the dish if necessary.
8. After boiling, 20 minutes is enough for complete cooking.

The finished pilaf acquires a pleasant sunny color, slightly spicy notes with moderate sourness and a spicy aroma.

Turkey option

You can get a slightly different flavor by preparing a dish with turkey.

Products:

• 200 g bulgur;
• 500 g turkey (a piece of fillet or already chopped meat);
• 100 g carrots;
• 1 tbsp. l. rast. oils;
• 30 g of ketchup (can be replaced with tomato paste);
• 20 g soy sauce;
• salt pepper.

Pilaf can be prepared in 1 hour.

Calorie content per 100 g: 150 kcal.

The meat is washed, using a towel, napkins blot the moisture, and cut into pieces. Grate the carrots and finely chop the onion. Turkey meat is fried in oil and ketchup, then placed in a separate bowl. Onions and carrots are fried in the remaining oil.

When they become soft, return the turkey, add bulgur, pour in soy sauce, and add spices. The products are mixed and water is poured in (its layer exceeds the surface of the pilaf by 2 cm). Under a closed lid, the pilaf is cooked for 20 minutes.

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