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Kisir

Kisir is a filling and luscious Turkish country salad. Chili flakes or a chili pepper give it a thrilling zing.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bulgur (cracked wheat)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
1/3 teaspoon chili flakes or pinch of ground chili pepper, to taste
1 fresh red or green chili pepper, very finely chopped
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup chopped mint leaves
6 scallions, finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, finely diced

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Put the bulgur in a bowl, pour plenty of boiling water on it, and leave for 20–60 minutes, until the grain is tender. Drain and squeeze the excess water out in a colander.

    Step 2

    Add the tomato paste, oil and lemon juice, salt and chili flakes or chili pepper and mix thoroughly. You can do this in advance.

    Step 3

    Just before serving, mix in the rest of the ingredients.

  2. Variation

    Step 4

    Adding 2 tablespoons of sour-pomegranate concentrate or molasses gives the grain a brown tinge and sweet-and-sour tartness.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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