Pourgouri is cracked wheat cooked with tomatoes and onions.
A delightfully simple dish this is Cypriot village food at its best.
Studded with strands of vermicelli, and cooked with earth cinnamon and stock, its just perfect with a huge dollop of creamy Greek yogurt.
It can be eaten as a side, a great accompaniment to a roast chicken or with souvlakia, it works well with grilled halloumi, sliced bacon stirred through, or with mushrooms, peppers or whatever veg you fancy.
Me, I keep it simple, I have it as a main with salad, creamy yoghurt and a good squeeze of lemon.
Recipe - Feeds 6 as a side or 3-4 as a main with salad
Ingredients
200g Bulgur wheat
1 small onion chopped
Handful of vermicelli - about 1 nest
1 small 200g tin of chopped tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
400ml of hot/boiling water with a chicken or vegetable stock cube.
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper
Greek yoghurt to serve
For this dish you will need a saucepan with a lid
1 - Fry the onions in a tablespoon of oil or butter until they start to go translucent and then add the cinnamon and stir through.
2 - Add in the bulgur wheat and vermicelli and stir through to coat with the oil.
3 - Pour in the tomatoes, squeeze in the lemon juice, season and then follow with the stock, give the lot a stir.
4 - Tie a clean tea towel over the lid of the saucepan and fit tightly on top, turn onto a very low simmer and leave for 8-10 minutes.
*The towel is both to help provide a tighter seal on the lid, locking all that steam and flavour in and also to prevent the condensation that forms on the underside of the lid from dripping down into the bulgur *
5 - After 8 minutes give it a stir, make sure it doesn't need any additional water or seasoning, then turn off and leave for another 10 minutes to absorb those last bits.
6 - Garnish with chopped coriander, mint or parsley, squeeze of lemon and that big dollop of yoghurt.
Enjoy
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