Ekşili Pilav Recipe
Ekşili pilav means sour pilav. But the interesting thing is that it's not pilav. It's more like a main dish. Probably it's called pilav because of the bulgur it contains.
It is a gift of Kastamonu cuisine to humanity. It is very difficult to describe with words, but I can simply say that it has a wonderful taste. As a matter of fact, not only its taste, but also the feeling it gives is completely different. While eating, you feel the freshness of delicious herbs and the taste of spring. In short, you can't get enough of it.
There are two herbs in ekşili pilav that you cannot find in the supermarkets; mallow and nettle. Although it is not possible to find it in the supermarkets, it is not impossible to find them. Nettle and mallow are rather resilient herbs that grow in every green area after the rains in spring. Here I collect them from the nooks and crannies of the parks or the places where I go on a picnic. If you don't know what they look like, you can check them from google images and say "Oh, is that it?".
Ekşili pilav is prepared like beet greens with bulgur recipe, it changes a little after a point. First, the onion and tomato paste are roasted like our classic recipes and the bulgur is cooked until it is half soft. Then the yogurt is seasoned with the broth of the dish and added to the dish. Yogurt adds a nice sourness. Then, greens are added and the bulgur is cooked until it is completely soft. Since the greens are cooked very easily, this time is enough for them to cook. Finally, the meal is completed by drizzling paprika and pepper flakes roasted in oil over it.
The most important feature of ekşili pilav is the use of greens in it. These greens can be changed, of course, but it is useful to have at least this variety. Another feature of ekşili pilav is einkorn bulgur. You can find detailed information about einkorn bulgur from the einkorn bulgur pilav recipe.
Finally, there is one more thing I should mention. If you use vine leaves in brine, it would be good to desalinate them by soaking them in water beforehand.
Enjoy the recipe...
Ingredients
- 1 cup of einkorn bulgur,
- 1 onion,
- 1 green pepper,
- 1 bunch (50 g) mallow, chopped,
- 1 bunch (50 g) nettle, chopped,
- 10 fresh or in brine vine leaves, chopped,
- 2 handfuls of chopped parsley,
- 1 handful of chopped dill,
- 1 handful of chopped fresh mint,
- 1 tablespoon of tomato paste,
- 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil,
- 5 cups of water,
- 2 cups of plain yogurt,
- Salt.
For topping;
- 5-6 tablespoons of olive oil or 1 tablespoon of butter,
- 1 teaspoon of paprika,
- 1 teaspoon of pepper flakes.
Preparation
- Chop the onion and the pepper finely and stir fry with the olive oil until soft,
- Add the tomato paste and stir fry until the smell comes out,
- Add the water and the bulgur that you washed and strained and mix,
- Cook with the lid closed on low heat until the bulgur is half soft,
- Whisk the yogurt in a separate bowl,
- Take a ladle of the dish broth and slowly add it to the yogurt and whisk quickly,
- Add the mixture back to the pot and mix quickly,
- Cook, stirring, until it begins to boil,
- Add the chopped greens, mix and cook on low heat with the lid closed until the bulgur is completely soft and bursts (add boiling water if necessary),
- Add salt, mix and remove from fire,
- Heat the oil you will use for the topping in a sauce pan,
- Add paprika and pepper flakes, mix and remove from the fire,
- Transfer the food to serving plates and pour the sauce over.
Bon Appetit...