Bulgur Pilafi in the UK: what it is, how to order it, where to find it

What bulgur pilavı is

Coarse bulgur, wheat that has been parboiled, dried and cracked, is cooked like pilav: onion softened in butter, tomato and pepper paste stirred in, then the bulgur, then hot stock, covered and simmered until absorbed and rested. The result is reddish, nutty and separate-grained, with more flavour than rice pilav because of the paste. Variations add chopped green pepper and tomato, chickpeas, or vermicelli. It is a staple of Antep and Urfa cooking and the natural partner to Adana kebab, lahmacun and everything else from that region. Fine bulgur is a different ingredient, used for kısır salad and çiğ köfte, not for pilav.

Bulgur versus rice

Turks from the south-east eat bulgur; Istanbul eats rice. In a UK ocakbaşı you will usually be offered both. Bulgur is wholegrain, has more fibre and protein, and a nuttier taste; it also stands up better to the juices of grilled meat. Rice pilav is richer and more delicate and suits stews. A mixed grill on bulgur with sumac onions is the south-eastern standard; a stew on rice pilav is the Istanbul one.

How to judge it

The grains should be tender and separate, red from the pepper paste, tasting of butter and tomato. It should be moist but not wet. Pale, under-seasoned bulgur was cooked in water without paste. Good bulgur pilavı is a dish in its own right with yoghurt and a salad, and a lokanta will serve it that way.

Where in the UK it is done well

Every ocakbaşı run by a family from Antep, Adana or Urfa makes it properly, and those are most of the North London grill houses and many in Birmingham. The ranking below counts restaurants in our directory whose name signals bulgur.