If a few Turkish women meet at a friend’s house, it’s unavoidable for them to make this delicious pounded wheat (bulgur) dish. It’s called KISIR.
I don’t know why or what makes this dish so popular, so precious, but I haven’t met a Turkish woman who refuses kisir. Even the idea of making kisir is enough to excite them. Of course, it’s not a woman’s dish (if there is such a classification…), there are a lot of men who are big fans of it, as well. But still, it has a different role in women’s life in Turkey. It’s the reason for meeting, a tasty way of saying “welcome” to new neighbors, and so on. Each may create their own reason. The main ingredient of kisir is bulgur (pounded wheat) and the amount of it depends on the number of people there. If there are 3 people, 3 cups bulgur is enough. However, women always add one more cup as they think that an unexpected guest may come just when they start to eat.
In fact, it’s one of those easy to prepare dishes. It is ready to eat in just 15 or 20 minutes. Kisir is not a main dish, but not a side dish either. It can be considered as a kind of appetizer which can be eaten at any time. So here are the ingredients.
Ingredients (serving: 2)
• 2 cups bulgur ( take your unexpected guests in consideration)
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• Half bunch of parsley
• Half bunch of scallion
• 1 tomato
• 1 cucumber
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp pepper (or tomato) paste
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Cumin
• Dried mint
• Red pepper flakes
• Hot water
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp sour pomegranate souce
Put bulgur in a large bowl. Put salt, cumin, dried mint and pepper flakes (1 tsp of each) on it. Then pour hot water in the bowl until the surface of bulgur. Cover it with a piece of cloth or with a lid and let it to be brewed until bulgur is softened. About 10 minutes will be ok.
Meanwhile, you can prepare the other ingredients. Chop garlic, parsley, scallion, tomato, cucumber In a large bowl and add lemon juice in it. Put it aside.
Dice the onion and saute it in olive oil until golden, add tomato/pepper paste in it and stir just one minute.
Now you will combine everything. First, check your soaked bulgur if it’s softened enough. If it’s ok, add sauted onion in it and mix them together with a spoon. Add sour pomegranate sauce in it and mix it (if you don’t have this souce, increase the amount of lemon juice). Then add all chopped vegeables with lemon juice. Mix it for the last time and that’s it! You can serve it with some leaves of lettuce and pepper pickles.
Enjoy it with your friends. Never alone!
12 Comments on "Lets Gather (for Kisir)"
That looks delicious! is there a way to make the pomegranate sauce?
bulgur wheat is my favourite..we make Upma with this ,its in my blog.I like Goya brand,looks yummy…
Thank you Natasha. Making pomegranate sauce needs much effort, and here in Turkey, people living in villages with pomegranate tree make it together. Also, there are companies producing it. But I really don’t know how it is made. I just use pepared ones.
Thank you Vrinda for stopping by. I’ll have a look at your blog to learn Upma.
I love bulgur and had heard of kisir but didn’t have a recipe, so this is great – thanks!
Daily Spud- Glad you like it. You can also serve this with a bowl of potato salad.
we call this taboulé
our national dish in morocco is: “couscous” have you ever heard before?
this is what women enjoy making for their guests
hope you fell better now…
kisses
Jouhayna- I’ve seen this name ‘taboule’ in several websites, so I looked for it in the markets here, but unfortunately they don’t have it. I’m sure it has an irresistable taste as bulgur. And yes, I know couscous, we also have it here. But I don’t know many recipes with it. Mom makes a delicious couscous salad and that’s the only couscous dish I know.
Thank you so much for your interest. I’m much better now and I think it’ll be all gone until the beginning of the new week. I hope!
Hi, I would like to make this. How many mililitres are your cups?
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