Warmed pitta bread makes a fitting and delicious accompaniment to these mezze salads.
Mezze are little dishes of vegetables, salads, olives and such that are common all over the Middle East.
SERVES 4
PREP TIME 30 MINS
COOK TIME 5 MINS
Recipe Ingredients:
| 3.5 oz (100 g) bulgur wheat |
| 1 small cucumber |
| Salt and freshly ground black pepper |
| 9 oz (250 g) tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, and chopped |
| 2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped |
| 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped |
| 3 tbsp lemon juice |
| 4 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 bunch mint, leaves chopped |
| 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped |
| 1/4 tsp ground coriander |
| 1/4 tsp ground cumin |
| 9 fl oz (250 ml) natural yoghurt |
| 3–4 pitta breads |
Recipe Methods:
| 1 Put the bulgur wheat in a large bowl and pour over enough cold water to cover generously. Let it soak for 30 minutes, then drain through a sieve and squeeze out any remaining water with your fist. |
| 2 Trim the ends from the cucumber, cut in half lengthways, and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Dice the cucumber halves, put in a colander, sprinkle with salt and stir to mix. Leave for 15-20 minutes, to draw out the bitter juices, then rinse under cold, running water and drain. |
| 3 For the tabbouleh, in a large bowl, combine the bulgur, tomatoes, spring onions, parsley, lemon juice, oil, two-thirds of the mint, and plenty of salt and pepper. Mix and taste for seasoning, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. |
| 4 To make the cacik, put the cucumber in a bowl and add the garlic, remaining mint, ground coriander, ground cumin, and salt and pepper. Pour in the yoghurt. Stir to combine and taste for seasoning. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow the flavours to blend. |
| 5 Warm the pitta breads in a low oven for 3–5 minutes, then remove and cut into strips. Take the salads from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature, then arrange them in separate bowls with the warm pitta bread fingers alongside. |
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per recipe)
| Fat : 69.77 g | Fibre : 29.37 g |
| Iron : 11.35 mg | Sugar : 23.93 g |
| Calcium : 678.35 mg | Sodium : 1872.16 mg |
| Potassium : 2332.1 mg | Calories: 1574.94 kcal |
| Protein : 42.8 g | Vitamin A : 7741.03 IU |
| Vitamin C : 141.48 g | Carbohydrates : 176.1 g |
| Saturated Fat : 14.05 g | Cholesterol : 34.6 mg |