I cannot think of an easier dish to make than Shulbato. It’s dead-simple, tasty, and nutritious. You try it once and then you will be making it every other week, or at least this is what happened in my case.

Shulbato is made of coarse bulgur, eggplants, tomato and green pepper cooked all together. It’s usually served as a side dish, but also can be a good main-dish option especially for vegetarians.

Everyone has their own version of shulbato. Some replace eggplants with zucchini, or use rice instead of bulgur, others add cooked chicken or minced beef on the top, so it absolutely depends on one’s taste buds.

red-bulgur-shulbato

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 medium size eggplant, cut into bite-size cubes
  • 2 medium size tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 medium size green pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup coarse bulgur, rinsed
  • 1.5 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoom cinnamon powder
  • Pinch of black pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • Parsley for garnish (optional)
  • Sliced almonds (optional)

Directions:

In a pot over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic with olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes until softened. Add eggplants cubes and stir for another 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, green pepper, bulgur, tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Make sure to mix all ingredients together, then barely cover them with hot water. Cover the pot and bring to a simmer over a low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes or until completely cooked.

Pour in a serving plate, add sliced almonds on the top for a crunch and parsley for garnish. Serve hot with fresh yogurt and green olives on the side.