Sami Tamimi’s Recipes For Spiced Bulgur Balls With Pomegranate, With A Herby Fennel Side Salad

I person ever dreamed of a return to nan aureate property of Arab trade, erstwhile spices, fruits and ideas voyaged crossed deserts and seas, creating bonzer nutrient cultures done speech and curiosity. I’ve imagined bringing caller flavours home, letting them toggle shape nan room – but pinch each nan madness successful today’s world, that dream must enactment a dream, for now. So, these recipes go my journey, a measurement to reconnect pinch that tone and sensation nan magic of nan Arab aureate property today.

Kbeibat bulgur pinch outpouring bulb and pomegranate (pictured top)

This crockery originates successful Latakia, a larboard successful Syria. Kbeibat bulgur translates to “small kibbeh” successful Arabic, and refers to a scope of dishes that are celebrated crossed nan Arab world and beyond. It has galore variations from Turkey to Iran, moreover Brazil, but what they each person successful communal are analyzable layers of flavour: sweet, sour and spicy. Serve pinch nan spicy fennel and herb crockery below, positive breadstuff to mop up nan beautiful juices.

Prep 10 min
Soak 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 4

For nan kbeibat
200g good bulgur wheat
1½ tsp crushed cumin
½ tsp crushed coriander
1 tsp aleppo chilli flakes
2 tbsp oliva oil, positive other for drizzling and greasing
1¼ tsp salt
55g plain flour

For nan sauce
4-5 ample outpouring onions, trimmed and finely sliced (150g)
5g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, positive other for sprinkling
1 reddish chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
4 tbsp oliva oil
2 tbsp reddish capsicum paste aliases harissa
2 tsp citrus zest
2 tbsp citrus juice
¾ tsp crushed cumin
45g pomegranate molasses
1½ tsp caster sugar, aliases honey
¾ tsp salt

Mix nan bulgur pinch nan spices, oliva lipid and brackish successful a bowl, past adhd 300ml just-boiled h2o and operation well. Cover nan vessel and time off to soak for 20 minutes, until nan bulgur has absorbed each nan water. Add nan flour to nan bowl, past operation it successful good pinch your hands, squeezing nan substance until you person a sticky paste. Have fresh a vessel of lipid adjacent to you (to extremity nan substance sticking to your hands), past style into 20 balls of astir 30g each; rotation them betwixt your palms to make soft balls. Put nan balls connected a sheet aliases baking tray, screen and group speech while you make nan sauce.

Put each ingredients for nan condiment successful a ample vessel and operation good to combine. Bring a ample saucepan of salted h2o to a boil, past cautiously gaffe successful nan kbeibat, stirring mildly truthful they don’t break up aliases collapse, and navigator connected a mean power for 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, assistance nan bulgur balls retired of nan boiling h2o and into nan vessel of sauce. Once they’re each successful there, operation mildly until coated each complete pinch sauce. Spoon into serving plates and decorativeness pinch chopped parsley and a drizzle of oliva oil.

Spicy fennel and herb salad

Sami Tamimi’s spicy fennel and herbs salad.

This bright, aromatic crockery useful beautifully astatine immoderate meal, but is particularly bully arsenic a fresh, cleansing opposition to nan richness and complexity of kbeibat bulgur. Crisp fennel brings sweetness and crunch, while chilli, herbs and capers adhd power and sharpness. Thinly sliced kohlrabi would make an fantabulous substitute for nan fennel, offering a akin texture pinch a milder flavour.

Prep 20 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 4

For nan dressing
2 tbsp citrus juice, positive 1 tsp zest
2½ tbsp oliva oil
1 tbsp capers, drained and chopped
Salt and achromatic pepper

For nan salad
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced (about 400g)
1 greenish chilli, stalk discarded, soma thinly sliced
100g castelfranco radicchio, aliases achromatic endive, torn into bite-size pieces
3g mint leaves, astir torn
3g picked coriander leaves
3g picked dill leaves
2 tsp achromatic sesame seeds, toasted

First, make nan dressing. Put nan citrus juice and zest, oliva lipid and capers successful a ample bowl. Add a half-teaspoon of brackish and a bully grind of achromatic pepper, and whisk good to emulsify.

Add nan fennel and chilli to nan dressing bowl, past flip good truthful nan fennel is coated.

Add nan radicchio aliases endive, astir of nan herbs and nan sesame seeds, and flip again, this clip gently. Finish pinch nan remaining herbs and service astatine once.