Moroccan-Style Bulgur Wheat

"I personally think that bulgur wheat is a little overlooked. You’ll find cous cous quite readily at deli counters and in the food-to-go section in supermarkets, but bulgur wheat is much harder to come by. If you haven’t tried it before, it’s not dissimilar to cous cous, but the grains are bigger. I prefer it and think it lends itself to taking on a great range of flavours."

One of my favourite ways to serve it is Moroccan style, spiced with cumin and tossed with chick peas, dates, flame raisins and dried apricots. The sweetness works so well with the spice, and this dish is always a real hit with my vegetarian friends.

Put the bulgur wheat and spices into a large bowl and add the stock. Cover and leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Whilst the bulgur wheat is cooking, chop the dates and the apricots into small chunks and rinse the chick peas. Uncover the bulgur wheat and you should find that all of the water has absorbed. Use a fork to separate the grains.

Add the chickpeas and the dried fruits and stir through, making sure all of the ingredients are well mixed together.

If you’re looking for something a little more carnivorous, this dish works really well served alongside lamb cutlets, or if you prefer chicken, you could either add chunks of chicken to the dish, or replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock and serve alongside some grilled white meat. It’s a really versatile and filling dish, which complements most meats. I don’t find this dish needs seasoning on account of the spice and the fruit, but feel free to add salt and pepper if you feel it needs it.

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