My vegan food menu: day 2
Today was a mixed up day I cooked tofu and broccoli (my favourite dish) alongside leftovers from yesterday with BULGUR!
Bulgur is a awesome side, it's high in protein, high in fibre and cooks really fast.
I usually get it in packages like this from the Turkish store, waaaay cheaper than a health food shop, usually I get them at anything from 1.3chf to 3 chf per kilo. Some turkish bulgur have some saffron-like-looking-noodles in in. You can cook that in the same manner and the meal doesn't taste any different.
Bulgur is very good in tabouli salad, with savoury foods. I like cooked bulgur hot or cold. Sometimes I take a packed lunch of bulgur and beans with no microwave and it tales yummy either way.
To start I chop 1 onion and start frying it in a pot with oil
Once the onion is golden I add the dry bulgur to the pot, usually a cup or two. I mix the bulgur with the oil and onion, sometimes i crush a clove of garlic for more flavour and add it in, I then add salt to taste, I let it stand on high a bit before adding water, I'm waiting for a nutty scent to emerge. I then add 1 cup water per 1 cup bulgur.
That's a photo of the bulgur after it's mixed with the onion and oil before water is added.
After water is added I put a cover on the pot, I let it boil and then turn the heat down to low. In a few minutes the bulgur will be ready.
Before serving I stir it letting some air in so it's soft and spongy.
I served this meal with a side of tofu and broccoli as i had some leftover.
And of course leftovers from yesterday.
Delicious.
The onion, is key for making perfect bulgur. I know some people who skip it and end up hating bulgur because well it tastes like cardboard without the flavour. Quite a few friends of my had reservations of bulgur because of this, but after they tried it this way it becomes their favourite dish. In north america it's harder to find the turkish bulgur and you may need to drop in the health food stores.
I reckon the bulgur I usually get is parboiled and that's why it cooked so fast, some darker and coarser varieties of bulgur can take ages to cook and taste like cardboard.
Many people think I eat couscous when I make bulgur, it's never the case. Frankly I find bulgur more flavourful, and it's more nutritional. Couscous has less fibre and protein.
Bulgur and beans are a perfect combo with the mix making it a complete protein chain, and frankly they taste good together. I only cook beans with bulgur. (Though this time I had some tofu on the side)