Fragrant Bulgur Wheat with Zest

Bulgur wheat is used extensively in Middle Eastern cooking and not only has a low GI (48) but is delicious and takes only minutes to prepare. Try this salad as an accompaniment to chicken, or pan-fried marinated tofu slices for a vegetarian meal.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 17 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

175 g (6 oz/1 cup) bulgur wheat
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon grass
1 tablespoon grated ginger
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
grated zest of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
175 g (6 oz/1 bunch) asparagus, blanched, cut on the diagonal into 2.5 cm (1 in) pieces
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
LEMON YOGHURT
250 g (9 oz/1 cup) low fat natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Method:

Put the bulgur wheat in a bowl and pour over the boiling water. Stir well, then cover with foil (or plastic wrap or a plate) and steam for 15 minutes, or until the water has absorbed.
Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add the lemon grass and ginger and fry for 2 minutes. Add the lemon and lime zest and juice. Add the bulgur wheat and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and add the tomatoes, spring onions and asparagus and toss to combine. Season with pepper and sprinkle with parsley.
To make the lemon yoghurt, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine, adding a little more lemon juice if it is too thick. To serve, drizzle the yoghurt over the bulgur wheat salad.

Per serve:

1160 kJ (275 Cal), 6 g fat (saturated 1 g), 12 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 8 g fibre, 70 mg sodium

Recipe and image from The Low GI Diet Cookbook, Hachette Australia.

Recipe: Jill McMillan