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Regulars on my blog know that I have been cribbing endlessly about the heat in Bombay. I have almost forgotten how to make perfect round rotis, because its clearly been a while since I made them. That doesnt mean Ive been hogging rice for all my meals, which would have been the best thing to happen to me.

Bulgur is called Lapsi or Dalia in India and it is the perfect substitute for rotis. After all, it is the same wheat in another form.We often eat this with traditional Tambram accompaniments like Sambhar, Koottu and even yogurt. With the strong flavours of the accompaniments, we hardly miss the rice. Since then, I have taken for granted that I can substitute lapsi for rice just about anywhere and get away with it. After having tried rice patties with left over rice in my early blogging days, this recipe came to my mind today. Its wheat plus veggies in one dish, served with a portion of salad and it is a whole meal without any slaving over the stove and sweating it out making rotis.

Ingredients
1 cup cooked bulgur (1/2 cup dried, medium grain)
1/2 cup grated carrots
1 chilli sliced
1 tbsp gram flour
1 tbsp semolina
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp chopped mint
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Juice of a lime
1/2 tsp salt / to taste
Pinch of turmeric powder

Sliced shallots and thawed frozen peas for garnish

1 tbsp oil to grease pan

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Knead well to release flavours from spices and herbs. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or so.

Shape into patties of 3-4 cm diameter, about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat a non stick pan. Grease it with cooking oil.

Place 3-4 patties at a time on the medium hot skillet and let each side cook for about 3-4 minutes until crispy and brown.

Flip them over and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with sliced shallots and serve hot.

Notes:

• This can be served with a green salad as a light dinner.
• These bulghur patties also make great finger food for a party, and hey no deep frying too!
• If you dont mind wheat in wheat, then nothing can stop you from building a burger around these spicy, yummy beauties!
• You can make the same recipe with left over rice. Take care that the rice isnt too dried out or the patties wont hold their shape. If the rice has turned dry, then you can sprinkle some water and microwave it for a minute until soft.
• Since bulgur has a low glycemic index of 46, it is very good for diabetics as a substitute for rice. The high fiber and low GI causes gradual rise in blood sugar.
• How to cook broken wheat? -Wash the bulghur well several times in running water in a colander. Soak it in 1 1/2 cups of hot water for 15 minutes. After this, you can microwave the bulghur in the same water for 3-4 minutes on HIGH or pressure cook until you hear one whistle. 1/2 cup dried broken wheat yields over a cup of cooked grain.
• For difference between bulgur and cracked wheat, read here.

 These are one of our new favorite things.  We call them "Quinoa Cakes" because they are a similar idea to crab or salmon cakes.  They are delicious!  They are easy to put together - especially if you have some leftover quinoa or cook the quinoa ahead of time (since it needs to be cooled).  Weve enjoyed them topped with a little tartar sauce or lemony-creamy kind of sauce like the one on this recipe, but theyre great on their own or however you like them.  I even made them twice as big one time and we used them as hamburger patties and they were delicious!  We topped them with our usual burger toppings and I thought they were outstanding.  Ive tried this with red and white quinoa, and both work really well.  Red quinoa has a more mellow flavor, so if you find that you havent taken to quinoa because of its flavor, you might want to give the red quinoa a try.  Enjoy!



Quinoa Patties

Makes 11-12 patties

2 1/2 c. cooked quinoa, room temperature*
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 c. finely ground breadcrumbs, plus more if needed
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.  Stir in the parsley, cheese and garlic.  Add the bread crumbs.  Stir in the mixture until combined.  If the mixture seems too wet, add a tablespoon or two more of bread crumbs.  If it seems to dry, add a tablespoon or two of water. Let it stand for about five minutes so the liquid can be somewhat absorbed.  Take small handfuls of the mixture and form into little patties, about 1-inch thick, yielding 11-12 patties.

In a large, non-stick skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it is hot.  Add a single layer of patties (about half of them if using a 12-inch skillet) and cook until the bottoms are well browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Flip the patties and cook about 5 minutes more or until the second side is golden brown.  Remove from the skillet, add a little more oil if needed and repeat with the remaining patties.  Serve warm.

*1 cup uncooked quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked

Source: Mels Kitchen Cafe