Zucchini Yalanji with Bulgur
Zucchini stuffed with bulgur, walnuts, tomatoes, and herbs, cooked in a lightly tangy Syrian vegetarian style.
Zucchini is stuffed with bulgur, walnuts, tomatoes, and herbs, then cooked in a tangy Syrian vegetarian style.
Like a stuffed vegetable dish with a grain-based filling.
Yalanji means stuffed vegetables, and this version skips meat. Expect a savory filling with a slightly sour finish.
Ingredients
- 1 kilo small zucchini
- half a cup chopped onion
- half a cup chopped walnuts
- half a cup chopped tomatoes
- half a cup coarse bulgur
- half a cup chopped parsley
- quarter cup olive oil
- quarter cup lemon juice
- 5 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- half a teaspoon black pepper
- half a teaspoon dried pepper [paprika]
- half a cup chopped fresh mint
- quarter cup olive oil for the broth
- quarter cup lemon juice for the broth
- 5 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
- 1 pepper hot chili pepper
- 5 glasses water
- potatoes
- carrots
Instructions
- Wash the coarse bulgur in a bowl, then soak it in another bowl with 2 to 2½ glasses of water.
- Core the small zucchini using a suitable coring tool, then leave a small portion at the end so that the filling remains secure.
- Finely chop the parsley, onion, tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, fresh mint, and hot chili pepper before mixing.
- In a bowl, combine the soaked bulgur with the parsley, onion, tomatoes, walnuts, garlic, fresh mint, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, dried pepper, and pomegranate molasses.
- Mix the zucchini filling well in the bowl, then leave it for half an hour before stuffing if you would like the flavors to develop, as mentioned by the chef.
- Stuff the zucchini with the filling using your hand or a small spoon, then leave a slight space at the end so the filling does not come out during cooking.
- Put the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, and hot water in a pot for the broth, then leave it over the heat until it boils.
- Add the stuffed zucchini to the boiling pot, then place them upright or at an angle so that the broth enters the inside without the filling coming out.
- Cover the pot and leave it over medium-high heat for between 50 minutes and about 1 hour.
- Check whether the zucchini are cooked after 45 minutes to 1 hour, then serve as they are. Potatoes and carrots may be added to the pot if desired, as mentioned by the chef.