Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are adapted from Floyd Cardoz's book,One Spice, Two Spice. The dish is also part of a special menu Chef Cardoz created for Epicurious's Wine.Dine.Donate program.
Cracked wheat, or bulgur, has a nutty, sweet taste that I love. In India, it's eaten with milk and sugar for dessert, but I like to serve it as a savory pilaf. I use chicken stock for added richness and flavor, but you can substitute vegetable stock if you want to. And, depending on what else you are serving with the pilaf, feel free to embellish with chopped fresh chiles, cilantro, and/or mint.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over moderate heat until it shimmers and cook the cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, bay leaf, and turmeric (if using), stirring and shaking the pan, until the spices are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and ginger and cook until the onion is translucent, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add the chicken stock, then bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cracked wheat and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and return the mixture to a boil.
Step 2
Remove from the heat and let the pilaf stand for 30 minutes. Remove the cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf and fluff the pilaf with a fork and season with salt to taste before serving.
