Bulgur Risotto With Pumpkin

justcallmetoni's Note:

At first glance, the origins of this dish may be a bit confusing. We associate risotto with Italia and the spices are North African. Truth be told, the dish is actually from Cyprus. Bulgur is a frequent menu item for me and I'm looking forward to trying this one as pumpkins become more readily available in the market. The original recipe calls for a much larger amount of oil, I've reduced it to make this dish a little lighter. Posted for the Zaar World Tour.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 14 mins
• Cook Time: 46 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 4 -6 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 inches cinnamon sticks
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 lb pumpkin (peeled and diced, it should be 1/2 pound) or 1/2 lb winter squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (peeled and diced, it should be 1/2 pound)
• 1/2 cup coarse cut Bulgar wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water or 3/4 cup vegetable broth

Directions:

1. Place oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot (not smoking), add the cinnamon and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes allowing the onions to color a bit around the edges.
2. Add the diced pumpkin, bulgur and salt. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add water or broth, stir and bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Lift the lid, cover the pot quickly with a clean dishcloth, return lid to pot. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Stir gently before serving.

Reviews

[brokenburner]

I used pumpkin for this recipe, and I don't think it's my favorite type of winter squash. Maybe I would have liked it more if I'd used butternut or acorn... this was a good recipe, but a little bland. It needs some more spices, or maybe a little salt. Overall good though. Thanks.

[Kumquat the Cat's friend]

Excellent! Healthful, tasty and just a little sweet. You could probably add some honey if you wanted. I made this with butternut squash and vegetable broth. I'm starting to eat more bulgur myself. Thanks as always Toni!

[LoveToEat]

This unique dish has become an instant favorite! It's delicious, easy, AND healthy which is often a difficult combination to find.