Bulgur “Risotto” with Chickpeas and Lamb

BULGUR BI-DFEENEH

LEBANON | SYRIA

I still remember the excitement when I lived in Beirut and my mother would make us bulgur bi-dfeeneh for lunch. It was, and still is, one of my favorite dishes and before rice became common, most Levantine people would rely on bulgur as their main staple, apart from bread, using it to stuff vegetables, to serve as a side dish cooked with tomatoes, or to make as a one-pot dish cooked with meat and chickpeas, as in the recipe below. Rural folks still favor bulgur over rice. I use lamb shanks here because the bones add richness to the stock that is eventually absorbed into the grain, but you can also make this with boneless lamb shoulder or leg or neck fillets.

SERVES 4 TO 6

4 tablespoons (60 g) unsalted butter

4 lamb shanks (about 3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg total)

1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), finely chopped

⅔ cup (135 g) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight with ½ teaspoon baking soda

2 cinnamon sticks

1¼ cups (250 g) coarse bulgur

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture

¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Sea salt

1¾ cups (16 ounces/450 g) Greek yogurt, for serving

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat and brown the shanks. Remove to a plate, then add the chopped onion and sauté until the onion is soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Return the shanks to the pot.

2. Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold water. Add to the meat and onion. Sauté for a couple of minutes, to coat them in butter, then add 6⅓ cups (1.5 liters) water and the cinnamon sticks. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let bubble gently for 1 hour, or until the chickpeas and meat are tender. At this point you can keep the shanks as they are. Or you can take them out to take the meat off the bone. Return the meat to the pan and discard the bones.

3. Discard the cinnamon sticks. Add the bulgur and season with the ground cinnamon, allspice, 7-spice mixture, pepper, and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the bulgur is tender and the liquid is fully absorbed. Take off the heat. Wrap the lid in a clean kitchen towel, put it back over the pot, and let steam for a few minutes.

4. Serve hot with the yogurt on the side.