Pub Style Bulgur Pilaf (Meyhane Usûlü Bulgur Pilavı)

Bulgur pilaf, a highly traditional central Anatolian dish, can be pretty boring, at least for me, when cooked regular way: with only tomato paste, oil, and maybe onions. However, pub style bulgur (my mom calls this recipe pub style, but I have no idea why) is rich in flavor + vegetables, is fun and a wholesome meal on its own.

I don't know how many different kinds of bulgur there are elsewhere, but in Turkey we have two types: fine and coarse. Fine bulgur is usually for desserts and salads like kısır (tabbouleh); and coarse bulgur is perfect for rice.

1 cup coarse bulgur
1 small onion, diced
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped (optional)
2-3 banana peppers or any fresh pepper, chopped
1 tbsp tomato or pepper paste
2 tomatoes, diced
1 potato, diced
1 tsp pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp mint flakes (if you have fresh mint, even better!)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups water
salt
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped

optional:
1-2 cloves of garlic, sliced and added with the onion
carrot, chopped in rounds or half-rounds
corn

-Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion. Stir for a couple of minutes and add pepper. When they are soft add first the paste, stir for a minute, and then diced tomato.
-When tomatoes are cooked, add the water, bulgur, potatoes, pepper flakes, ground black pepper, mint flakes, and salt.
-Wait until the water boils. Then turn the heat down all the way to very low and cook until the water is absorbed and bulgur is tender.
-Since parsley doesn't really need to be cooked, add it with green onions after you turn off the heat and mix well.
-Bulgur can be sticky, so you better stir it every now and then. Once it's cooked, cover the pot by putting a paper towel or a clean kitchen cloth between the pot and the lid to absorb the moisture. Let it sit for at least 5-10 minutes like that before you serve.

You can serve this delicious pilaf with yogurt, cold beer, meat, or with anything you want. I like it warm, but since it's cooked with olive oil it can be served cold as well. A lot of people I know eat it cold, actually.

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