Purslane Dish With Chickpea And Bulghur
I have a regional delicacy for you today. Since fresh purslane has started appearing at the markets, I wanted to share one of the beloved dishes of Gaziantep cuisine: Pirpirim Aşı. In Gaziantep, purslane is called pirpirim, which is why the dish is known by this name. In other words, Pirpirim Aşı simply means purslane stew.
There are several different versions of this dish—some with lentils, some with black-eyed peas, and more. I made mine with the most common ingredients found at home: chickpeas, lentils, and bulgur. If you like black-eyed peas and usually keep them on hand, you can definitely add some too. Just cook them together with the lentils.
Like every dish that features purslane—such as yogurt purslane salad or purslane tarhana soup—Pirpirim Aşı is delicious. It’s something between a soup and a main dish, so it can easily take the place of either. If you’re wondering what to serve it with, in my opinion, a simple bowl of yogurt is more than enough. But if you’re cooking for a group, you can serve it as a soup course alongside chicken or meat dishes. And of course, if there are people from Gaziantep among you, it would be great to hear how they traditionally serve this flavorful dish in their hometown.
By the way, if you don’t have sumac extract, you can make your own by soaking one tablespoon of ground sumac in half a cup of boiling water for 10–15 minutes and straining it. Sometimes I also use pomegranate molasses instead of sumac extract, and it works beautifully.
Enjoy…
Ingredients
- 500 g purslane,
- 1 onion,
- ½ cup green lentils,
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas,
- ½ cup coarse bulgur,
- 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste,
- 1 teaspoon mild red pepper powder,
- 3–4 tablespoons olive oil,
- 2 tablespoons sumac extract (if available),
- Salt
1 teaspoon dried mint, - Water.
Preparation
- Cook the lentils in a small pot until completely tender,
- While the lentils are cooking, chop the onion and sauté it in olive oil until softened,
- Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant,
- Add the red pepper powder and stir,
- Add the washed and finely chopped purslane and cook until it changes color,
- Pour in about 3 cups of hot water, add the rinsed bulgur, and stir,
- Cover and simmer over low heat until the bulgur softens,
- Once cooked, add the chickpeas, drained lentils, salt, and dried mint, and mix well. (Add a bit of hot water if the mixture is too thick.),
- Simmer for another 2–3 minutes, then remove from heat.
Enjoy your meal…
- Спас Янков: One of my favourite stews! March 24, 2020 7:05 pm