BULGUR FRIED RICE STYLE

Bulgur Fried Rice Style image

Provided by Heidi Hoerman

Time 1h20m

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 c bulgur wheat, uncooked
2 c boiling water
1-2 Tbsp cooking oil, as needed (olive, canola, etc.)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1-2 clove garlic, minced
1 bag(s) frozen stir-fry vegetables, thawed
6 oz cooked meat or fish, in small pieces. chicken, pork or shrimp are welcome additions.
abt. 2 Tbsp sesame oil
abt. 1 Tbsp fish sauce (nam pla, nuoc nam) or other salty condiment
abt. 1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp chinese five-spice powder or other spice (optional)
1/2 c fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

Steps:

1. About 1 hour before the other steps, pour the boiling water over the bulgur and allow the grain to swell and soften, soaking up almost all the water. You can speed this up by reheating or by cooking according to package directions.
2. Lightly oil, if necessary, a large, stick-free covered saute pan. Heat to medium. Pour the lightly beaten eggs into the pan and swirl to make a thin layer of egg. Cook the egg until dry, scraping and flipping as necessary but not really scrambling. Ideally, you want a thin sheet of cooked egg but just get as close as you can.
3. Wipe any remaining egg out of the pan and raise the heat a bit. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the shallot and garlic briefly.
4. Drain the thawed vegetables if very wet. Add to the pan and saute until heated through and any hard vegetables, like carrots start to soften. Cover as needed to steam the vegetables but boil off excess water.
5. Optionally, stir in any meat or seafood and heat through.
6. Optionally, add a bit of Chinese Five-Spice or other spice to taste.
7. Stir in the softened bulgur and heat through. While heating, stir in the sesame oil, fish sauce, and soy sauce, adjusting the amounts of each to taste.
8. Cut the cooked egg into ribbons or small pieces. Stir into bulgur and veggie mixture.
9. Optionally, stir in or garnish with cilantro leaves.
10. Serve hot.