برغل مع كوسا (ابو شلهوب)
A flavourful, moist pilaf of zucchini, beef and bulgur that that can be eaten alone or as a side dish.
Summertime in Damascus calls for light, filling meals that make use of one of the season’s most abundant vegetables: zucchini. This nutritious dish combines zucchini, meat and bulgur (cracked wheat) in a moist pilaf that that can be eaten alone or as a side dish.
I've always liked the texture of bulgur, also known as cracked wheat. It soaks up all the flavour of whatever liquid it's cooked in and becomes dense, yet fluffy. The addition of the sauteed minced garlic and aromatic cilantro at the end make this dish an unforgettable summertime meal that is bursting with fresh flavour and unique textures.
You can eliminate the meat for a vegetarian dish.
For those of you wondering: Who is Abu Shalhoub?
Allahu a3lam! (Who knows!)
The Ingredients
Ground beef: Use lean ground beef.
Bulgur: Also known as cracked wheat, bulgur is an ingredient that has been used in the Middle East for about 4,000 years. You can find bulgur in the international aisle of most grocery stores. You may notice bulgur comes in different sizes - fine, medium and coarse. You can select the coarseness you like, but I generally like to use medium for this recipe. In general, you will need two cups of liquid for every cup of dry bulgur.
Zucchini: White zucchini grow in abundance across the Middle East, so you should try to use that if you can find it. Otherwise, use any zucchini you can find in your local grocery store.
Ghee: Ghee is a type of clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all moisture. This results in a richer, nuttier flavour. Use clarified butter or butter if you can't find find ghee.
Onion: Use white or yellow diced onion.
Cilantro: You will need one bunch of fresh cilantro.
Garlic: Always use freshly-minced garlic.
How to make Abu Shalhoub (Burghol bil Koosa)
- In a pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee and sauté onions until softened.
- 2. Add meat, salt and pepper and cook over high heat.
- 3. Add water, bulgur and zucchini. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust salt if necessary.
- 4. In a skillet, heat ghee and sauté garlic and cilantro for 2-3 minutes.
- 5. Add cooked cilantro garlic mix to the cooked pilaf and toss gently.
- 6. Serve on its own or with yogurt.
Common Questions
Absolutely! This dish can also be eaten without any animal products and it tastes just as delicious. There is no need to substitute the meat with any other ingredients; simply enjoy it as-is.
If you're cooking bulgur, it doesn't need to be soaked. If you're using it in raw dishes like cig kofte and tabbouleh, then you'd need to soak it.
This dish can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
If the bulgur is crunchy, that means you didn't cook it long enough or didn't add enough water in the pot. Simply add another cup of water and cook for a few minutes longer.
Zucchini Bulgur Pilaf - Burghol bil Koosa (Abu Shalhoub)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 onion diced
- 400 g ground beef
- 5 zucchinis cubed
- 2 cups bulgur
- 3 cups hot water
- salt
- pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
- 5 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- In a pot, heat 1 tablespoon ghee and sauté onions until softened.
- Add meat, salt and pepper and cook over high heat.
- Add zucchinis and cook while stirring occasionally for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add water and bulgur. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust salt if necessary.
- In a pan, heat ghee and sauté garlic and cilantro for 5 minutes.
- Add cooked cilantro to the cooked pilaf and mix.
- Serve on its own or with yogurt.
Nutrition
برغل مع كوسا ولحمة مفرومة ( ابو شلهوب )
المكونات
- 400 غ لحمة مفرومة
- 2 كاس برغل
- 1 بصلة كبيرة مفرومة
- 3 كاس ماء
- خمس حبات كوسا حجم كبير مقطعة مكعبات وسط
- ملح ، فلفل
- جرزة كزبرة مفرومة
- خمس فصوص ثوم مفروم
- ملعقتين سمنة حيواني
التعليمات
- يقلى البصل بملعقة سمنة حتى يذبل ثم نضع اللحمة ونضيف إليها الملح والفلفل حتى تستوي ثم فوقها الكوسا المقطعة ونحركها مدة خمس دقائق على نار وسط.
- نضيف الماء الساخن إلى خليط اللحمة والكوسا ومن ثم نضيف البرغل ونعدل الملح حسب الرغبة ونغطيها ونتركها لتنضج حوالي ربع ساعة على نار متوسطة.
- نحمي السمنة في مقلاة ونضيف إليها الثوم المطحون ومن ثم الكزبرة الخضراء حتى تذبل ونضيفها إلى البرغل ونحركها بهدوء حتى تتجانس النكهات. وألف صحة.
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