Mahnke Family RecipesKisir
A Turkish classic
Ingredients
- 2 large onions - finely chopped2 large onions - finely chopped
- 1⁄3 c / 90 ml olive oil1⁄3 c / 90 ml olive oil
- 2 T tomato paste2 T tomato paste
- 4 medium tomatoes - peeled and chopped4 medium tomatoes - peeled and chopped
- 1⁄3 c / 90 g water1⁄3 c / 90 g water
- 1 lbs / 400 g coarse bulgar wheat1 lbs / 400 g coarse bulgar wheat
- 1 1⁄2 t pomegranate molasses1 1⁄2 t pomegranate molasses
- 1 T lemon juice1 T lemon juice
- 6 T parsley - chopped6 T parsley - chopped
- 3 stems sprint onions/scallions - finely shredded3 stems sprint onions/scallions - finely shredded
- 2 whole green chillies - deseeded and finely chopped2 whole green chillies - deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic - crushed2 cloves garlic - crushed
- 1 t ground cumin1 t ground cumin
- 1 t salt and black pepper1 t salt and black pepper
- 1 whole pomegranate - seeds1 whole pomegranate - seeds
- 1 handful mint leaves -some whole, some roughly shredded1 handful mint leaves -some whole, some roughly shredded
Some shape this salad into patties, to create a vegetarian version of the Lebanese dish kibbeh nayyeh (lamb and bulgar tartar), but I prefer it loose, a bit like a couscous salad. In the south of Turkey, near the Syrian border, they tend to use pomegranate molasses instead of lemon juice in their kisir. I use both, and then go to town by garnishing the dish with pomegranate seeds, too. Serve with fresh lettuce leaves, either as a starter or as part of a mezze.
Method
- In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the oil until they turn translucent - about five minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook over medium heat for two minutes, stirring all the while with a wooden spoon. Add the chopped fresh tomatoes, leave them to simmer on a low heat for four minutes, then add the water. Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the bulgar.
- Add the molasses, lemon juice, parsley, chopped spring onion, chilli, garlic and cumin. Season, stir, then set aside until the salad has cooled to room temperature or is just lukewarm.
- Taste, adjust the seasoning as necessary - it will probably need plenty of salt - and spoon on to a serving dish. Roughly flatten out the salad with a palette knife, creating a wave-like pattern on the surface, then scatter pomegranate seeds over and about. Drizzle olive oil over the top and finish with the mint and the extra spring onion.
Servings
4
Category
Vegetarian
Cuisine
Author
Yotam Ottolenghi