Shared by Sarina Roffe
Shared by Sarina Roffe
Bazergan (Bulgur and Tamarind Salad)
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours inactive
Bazergan (Bulgur and Tamarind Salad)
Yield: 8 servingsTime: 30 minutes, plus 2 hours inactiveFamily Journey
Beirut and AleppoBrooklynGaithersburg, MD
Brooklyn
When Sarina Roffé was little, her family made this salad as part of their mazza spread, small dishes served at the start of Shabbat meals and at celebrations. Here, medium ground bulgur is rinsed and drained until barely softened and mixed with healthy amounts of parsley, lemon, peppers, walnuts, and tangy tamarind paste. Some family members would take meat stuffed sambusak, says Sarina, and dip it into the salad, mixing the two together. She recommends serving it with pita and crackers.
Read more about Sarina Roffe’s family story in “A Syrian Backyard Kitchen Grew in Brooklyn” and get her recipes for ejjeh (Syrian vegetable fritters), and tomatoes and eggs.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups bulgur, medium ground
- ¾ cups finely chopped, fresh parsley
- 1 ½ lemons, juiced
- 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
- 3 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 red bell peppers, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 large yellow onion, minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ¾ cups tamarind paste
- ¼ cup neutral vegetable oil
Preparation
Step 1
Wash and drain the bulgur three times. Let the bulgur rest for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the oil and mix well. Let rest for 1 hour.
Step 2
Add the oil, mix well and let rest, covered, for another 30 minutes in the fridge. Store in jars with tight lids until ready to serve. Serve cold or at room temperature.
