I have recently discovered sumac, and I love the depth of flavour this spice adds to dishes. It has quickly become a staple in my cooking and it was only a matter of time before I added it to a stir fry.
In this bulgur wheat stir fry with Mediterranean spices recipe, I used a combination of sumac, allspice and oregano to create the taste of the Mediterranean foods which we’ve grown to love. This delicious stir fry is suitable as vegetarian or vegan meal and is very quick to make.
Jump to RecipeWhat Is Sumac?
Sumac is one of the least known Mediterranean spices in the Western world, but it is very popular in Middle Eastern cooking. The sumac plant grows in many areas of the Middle East, and the berries are dried, and used in cooking. Sumac is usually sold with added salt in the UK to maintain the shelf life, as well as to prevent clumping of the powder.
Sumac has a complex flavour; it has a sharp acidic taste with earthy, woody notes. It is particularly good sprinkled over roasted vegetables, baked fish or meat, and chickpeas, potatoes, rice and other grains. It doesn’t usually require long cooking, so it can just be used to garnish or lift the taste of food at the end of cooking. A combination of these properties makes sumac a natural addition to this stir fry with bulgur wheat and vegetable.
Bulgur Wheat Stir Fry With Mediterranean Spices
Ingredients
Bulgur Wheat
- 1 cup Bulgur wheat
- 2 cups Water
- Salt to taste
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- ½ Onions chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Allspice
- ¼ teaspoon pepper flakes
- 1 Red pepper chopped
- 1 cup/can Green peas
- Mushrooms a handful sliced
Instructions
Bulgur Wheat
- Add the bulgur wheat and water into a saucepan, with a sprinkle of salt to taste.
- Cover the pan and allow the bulgur wheat to absorb some of th water. Turn off the heat when the content of the pot starts to bubble.
- Leave on the hob for 10 mins, while pan is still covered.
Stir fry
- Heat up the oil in a frying pan.
- Add the onion and allow to soften. When it becomes translucent, add the chopped garlic.
- Stir for about 30 sec, then add the sumac, oregano, allspice and pepper flakes.
- Stir for another 30 secs, and pour in the peppers, green peas and mushrooms.
- Allow the vegetables to cook (around 5 mins).
- Pour in the cooked bulgur wheat. Stir to mix the content of the pan thoroughly while heating up the bulgur wheat.
- Remove from heat.
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