Makmoura is a dish I often serve in the fall when cabbage is in season and even sweeter and tenderer than usual. For an extra treat for the eye and the taste buds, I like to prepare my Makmoura, which means “cabbage with wheat,” with both red and green cabbage leaves. Although it tastes like you’ve been slaving over the stove all day, this side is an easy one to put together, and pairs particularly well with my Basal wa Banadoura Salata. 
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
⅓ cup #2 medium bulgur wheat (see here)
½ head savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
½ head red cabbage, thinly sliced
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 large red onion, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
In a medium mixing bowl, cover the bulgur wheat in 3 cups of lukewarm water. Set aside to soak and soften, about 20 minutes.
Remove the thick outer leaves from the cabbages and discard or compost. Slice the cabbages in half and, using a sharp, serrated knife, slice through the leaves to make thin shreds. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the onion slices, and season with ½ teaspoon of the salt. Cook until translucent and light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low, add the shredded cabbage to the sauté pan in small batches pulling the shreds apart as you add them in. Season the cabbage-onion mixture with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil and toss to combine. Sauté the cabbage-onion mixture for 7 to 10 minutes continuously tossing, until the cabbage softens and turns light golden brown.
By this time, the bulgur should be softened. Test some grains between your fingers; they should be soft. Working in handfuls, squeeze the excess water out of the bulgur into the soaking bowl, and sprinkle the softened grains into the cabbage-onion mixture. Cook briefly, tossing with the other ingredients, until the bulgur is warmed through.
Season with the crushed red pepper flakes and serve hot or warm.
Variation 
For a gluten-free version, substitute cooked quinoa for the bulgur wheat.
