Eetch (Armenian Bulgur Salad)
Recently, I got a dozen lahmejun from an Armenian church food sale. Lahmejun are like a very thin crust pizza or flatbread topped with minced meat, vegetables, and tomatoes. If I lived near an Armenian store or bakery, I would make this for dinner more often since they only take between 5 and 10 minutes to heat up in the oven. Lahmejun are time consuming to make. Even before the wheelchair, I bought them. The lahmejun have been in my freezer for a month ready to take out for an easy dinner. I will pair the lahmejun with yogurt and cucumbers even though this is probably not enough food for some members of my family. Since the weather is warm, I have been craving eetch (Armenian Bulgur Salad) which will go with dinner.
Eetch (Armenian Bulgur Salad) is a salad mostly made of bulgur (cracked wheat). Because of the added tomato sauce, red pepper paste and pomegranate molasses, it is red in color. I have heard it called red tabouleh. I don’t think eetch is all that much like tabouleh except for the bulgur. Most of the ingredients for eetch store easily in my pantry and refrigerator. The mild/sweet version of Turkish red pepper paste stays in my refrigerator a long time even after it has been opened. I keep pomegranate molasses in my cupboard and have put it in iced tea, seltzer, and dressings. It adds a fruity and tart punch to food. I keep bulgur in my cupboard for tabouleh, bulgur pilaf and eetch.
Now that I have a plan
Bulgur comes in different size grains. I mostly use the fine bulgur, also called #1 bulgur. I like the spiciness of eetch, but it can be made less spicy with less or no cayenne. We eat it picked up in grape leaves, but we mostly eat it in romaine heart leaves like a taco. My teen daughter says to tell you all that there is never enough lettuce. She looked at me with judging eyes so I added a second package of romaine hearts to the grocery list before I remembered our garden is brimming over with Spotted Trout Lettuce, which is a variety of romaine. The girls used to call the eetch in romaine leaves “Armenian tacos” when they were young, which always made me smile. They don’t do that anymore, but they still love eetch.
P.S.
There was more than enough lettuce. 😆
Eetch
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Olive Oil
- 2 medium Onions finely chopped
- 3 Tablespoons Turkish Red Pepper Paste (I use the sweet)
- 2 15 oz cans Tomato Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 cup Parsley chopped
- 3 Scallions finely sliced
- Light 1/2 cup Lemon Juice (about 2 Lemons)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or to taste)
- 2 Tablespoons Pomegranate Molasses
- 2 1//2 cups #1 Fine Bulgur
Instructions
- In a stock pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion. Saute about 10 minutes until soft.
- Add the tomato sauce and the red pepper paste. Stir until diluted. Add the cayenne pepper.
- Add the black pepper, lemon juice, parsley, scallions, salt, and pomegranate molasses.
- Bring to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, and immediately add the bulgur. Stir the bulgur in quickly.
- Immediately cover with a lid and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
- Open the lid after the 20 minutes is up and check to see if the bulgur is tender. If it is not, then let it sit covered an additional 5 minutes.
- Refrigerate for several hours or until chilled.
- Eat with grape leaves or romaine leaves.
