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    Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils

    May 27, 2021 by Ayla Clulee 1 Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils is a healthy and delicious side dish packed with a lot of nutrition and fibre. This simple recipe requires only a few ingredients which you probably already have in your pantry. It also comes together very quick which makes it perfect for a weekday meal.

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works?
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • How to Cook Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils?
    • Related Recipes
    • Top Tip From the Chef
    • Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf

    Turkish Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils is the perfect accompaniment to most Turkish dishes such as Kuru Fasulye, Mediterranean Green Beans, Inegol Kofte or Lamb Shish Kebab. It is made with two healthy ingredients; bulgur wheat and lentils. Bulgur wheat is a very popular ingredient widely used in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. It is made from cracked and parboiled wheat grains and is available in different sizes such as fine, medium, coarse and extra coarse. Fine or medium size bulgur is ideal for salads and coarse or extra coarse is great for pilafs. You can easily find bulgur at your local supermarket or Middle Eastern markets.

    Turkish bulgur pilaf with lentils served as a side dish to inegol Kofte
    Bulgur Pilaf is the perfect side dish for Inegol Kofte

    Why This Recipe Works?

    • It's extremely easy to make with only a few ingredients you might already have in hand.
    • It's a healthy side dish as well as delicious!
    • The leftovers freeze beautifully.
    • You can substitute butter with olive oil and use vegetable stock to make it vegan/vegetarian friendly.

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    Ingredients for Turkish bulgur pilaf with lentils
    • Bulgur - This healthy ingredient is widely used in Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines. Use coarse or medium-coarse bulgur for the best results.
    • Green Lentils - They are a staple in Turkish cuisine and are used for making soups, salads or adding to bulgur pilaf or borek filling. They are an excellent source of fibre and are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. You can substitute them with brown lentils.
    • Onion - It adds flavour to the pilaf. You can use brown, yellow or white onions.
    • Butter - It gives a rich and nutty flavour. You can use olive oil for vegan version.
    • Olive oil - I use olive oil for its health benefits but you can add more butter and skip the olive oil.
    • Stock - You can use Basic Homemade Vegetable Stock for vegan/vegetarian version. If using store-bought stock, always check the seasoning before adding more salt.

    How to Cook Bulgur Pilaf with Lentils?

    Cooking this delicious side dish is very easy with this simple and straightforward recipe. However, to achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps:

    • Precook the lentils - Cooking green lentils takes slightly longer than bulgur wheat. Therefore, it is necessary to precook them before mixing them with the bulgur. Place the lentils in a pan with plenty of cold water. Precook the lentils on medium heat for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
    Parboil the lentils before adding to bulgur
    • Caramelize the onions and sauté the bulgur wheat - Heat a large heavy-based pan on medium heat and melt the butter. Add the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft and slightly caramelized. Add the bulgur and sauté for few minutes to achieve extra nutty flavour. When the bulgur is sautéed for few minutes, add the pre-cooked green lentils.
    saute the onions with butter and olive oil
    add the bulgur and lentils
    • Cook the pilaf on low heat - Add the stock, season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper. give it a good stir and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and gently simmer the pilaf for 20 minutes with the lid off. Remove the pan from the heat and let the pilaf rest for 10 minutes covered with a kitchen cloth before serving.

    Related Recipes

    For other great side dishes why not try:

    • Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
    • Austrian Style Potato Salad
    • Turkish Rice Pilaf
    • Bulgur Pilaf
    • Cauliflower Cheese Recipe
    • Egg Fried Rice
    • Tawa Naan with Garlic
    Do green lentils need to be soaked?

    They don't need to be soaked but you can soak them if you want to reduce the cooking time.

    Is bulgur pilaf with lentils healthy?

    Yes, the two main ingredients of this dish are bulgur wheat and green lentils. They both are high in fibre and low in fat. It is full of vitamins and minerals and keeps you full for longer which makes it perfect for weight loss.

    Top Tip From the Chef

    Add some leftover roast chicken or lamb pieces to bulgur pilaf while cooking and turn this side dish into a delicious meal.

    I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious and nutritious Bulgur Pilaf as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂

    Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

    lentil and bulgur pilaf

    Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf

    This simple bulgur dish is full of nutrition as well as being delicious.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course, Side Dish
    Cuisine Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish
    Servings 4 people
    Calories 299 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Kitchen Digital Scale
    • 1 Measuring Spoons
    • 1 6-Piece Plastic Measuring Cups
    • 1 Saucepan with Lid

    Ingredients
     
     

    • ½ cup green lentils (90 grams)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon butter (20 grams)
    • 1 medium onion (finely diced)
    • 1 ⅓ cup coarse bulgur (250 grams)
    • 3 ½ cups vegetable stock or chicken stock (830 ml)
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Place the green lentils in a pan with plenty of cold water, precook them on medium heat for 20 minutes. Drain them and set them aside.
    • Heat a large heavy-based pan on medium heat and melt the butter.
    • Add the olive oil and onions, sauté the onions until they're soft and slightly caramelized.
    • Then add the bulgur and sauté for a few minutes before adding the lentils and the stock.
    • Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir the mixture until combined and bring it to a boil.
    • Let the pilaf gently simmer for 20 minutes on low heat with the lid off.
    • Remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes covered with a kitchen cloth before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 299kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 12gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1418mgPotassium: 466mgFiber: 16gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 458IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Easy Recipes, Healthy Dishes, Traditional Turkish Recipes
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    FOOD SAFETY

    • Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
    • Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
    • Never leave cooking food unattended
    • Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
    • Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

    This post use affiliate links. This means that if you click on them and then buy something, we get a small amount of commission to keep the site running, but it doesn’t cost you anything more.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

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    Comments

    1. Ayla

      August 03, 2021 at 3:11 pm

      5 stars
      Healthy and delicious

      Reply

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    Hi! Thank you for visiting Cooking Gorgeous. My name is Ayla, and I’m a professional chef based in the UK. The kitchen is my happy place and cooking is my therapy. To me, food is more than ingredients and nutrition; it is a language of love, a way of expressing compassion.

    In Turkish culture, food is at the centre of every gathering: religious holidays, birthdays, celebrations, funerals and the list goes on. So, probably like many others, I love food. And not just the food itself, but also the process of preparing the food fascinated me from a very young age. 

    More about me →

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