Ingredients
- 2 cups fine dark bourghol
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 onions (350 g), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 4 tomatoes (600 g), finely chopped
- 6 to 7 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 2 tablespoons tomato (see note below)
- 1 teaspoon or more Aleppo hot red pepper paste or few drops Tabasco
- 11/2 tablespoons dried and crumbled mint leaves
- 3 to 4 spring onions, white and green part finely chopped
- 1 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
- For decoration (optional)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
- 2 tomatoes, one seeds removed, finely chopped, one cut like a flower
Directions
- Fry onion in olive oil over low heat till tender but not colored, add cumin, black pepper, and fry few seconds more.
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Add tomatoes and cook 3 minutes.
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Add bourghol to the pan without washing it and cook few seconds while stirring.
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Add pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, hot pepper paste, mint, and salt.
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Stir mixture well, cover pan, and set aside till bourghol absorbs the liquid, stirring it after 20 minutes with a fork (at this stage the recipe may be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated till needed).
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Mix in parsley and chopped spring onion.
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Spoon ingredients into a circle or cake pan of choice pressing on top.
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Turn Itch to a serving plate, decorate top with chopped parsley and chopped tomatoes, and serve with lettuce leaves or on its won.
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N.B.: About ¼ cup or more of Dibs el Fleifleh (sweet red pepper paste from Armenian shops) may be added with the fresh tomatoes for extra taste; in this case do not use tomato paste.