Category Archives: bulgur,freekeh, wheat, barley,buckwheat, semolina, couscous, maftoul

whole grains

Red lentil and bulgur pilaf

I feel very fortunate to be able to escape from the hustle-bustle and super charged atmosphere of Beirut into the mountains every weekend; there, only 35 minutes away at 3000 feet altitude, lies a peaceful town surrounded by nature. After spending some time with a seasoned farmer who offered to show me where to find ( [...]
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Lamb shanks with roasted green wheat (Freekeh mufalfala)

A simple and hearty dish; you can use chicken or any other type of meat instead of the lamb shanks. The meat is browned then cooked in water and the resulting broth is used to cook the green wheat (aka freekeh). You can make this dish without meat  since the freekeh is full of iron [...]
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Green wheat and rice pilaf (Tatbeekah)

One of Lebanon’s prominent chefs, cookbook author and cooking instructor is Marlene Mattar and her latest cookbook features the cuisine of Aleppo in Syria (Maedat Marlene min Halab). This dish caught my eye:  It is a pilaf of white rice with roasted green wheat aka freekeh as well as ground lamb, onion and nuts.  We [...]
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Potato bulgur pie (Kibbet al-batata)

There are many versions of potato kibbeh; some are strictly vegan, others contain a layer of meat, some are made into balls and stuffed with onions and nuts, etc. This one is made up of mashed potato mixed with bulgur and stuffed with a layer of ground meat and onions (with a sprinkling of nuts [...]
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Bulgur and tomato pilaf (Burghul bel-banadoora)

There are still juicy, red tomatoes to be found in neighborhood markets in Beirut these days; this dish uses up a lot of tomatoes, the last of the season. The bulgur  drinks up the tomato juice while cooking and develops a mild, tomato taste and a silky texture. Some people add diced green peppers to [...]
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