There are so many health benefits of coarse bulgur wheat because of its minimal processing. Since I am a big white rice eater, I am surprised that to be satisfied with my bulgur wheat dinner served with chicken pesto. They go so well together and it’s like a dinner made in a fine-dining restaurant. Yes, this is another episode of a restaurant-style dinner. Read more about this healthy grain.

• Related: Make Restaurant-Style Spicy Baby Back Ribs at Home

Tasting Bulgur for the First Time

I went to a public school when I was in elementary and high school. Since we were under government supervision, the students were recipients of the feeding program of the Department of Health.

The two snack items given to us were Nutribun and bulgur lugaw (porridge). Made of wheat, these are supposed to be very healthy and good for undernourished children from impoverished communities. At that time, I was already aware that wheat is not grown in the Philippines, so I thought that it must have been imported.

• Read: This Shepherd’s Pie Recipe will Get Your Kids to Eat Vegetables

The problem, however, was that the Nutribun and bulgur porridge served to us tasted so awful. I could no longer remember the exact taste but it smelled and tasted horrible. Honestly, I brought my share home every time but even my parents would not eat them.

So that was my introduction to wheat that I have somehow developed an aversion to this healthy grain.

The Duru Coarse Bulgur Wheat

I received a couple of packs of the Duru Coarse Bulgur Wheat and wondered how it would taste. The first thing that I did when I opened the pack was to smell it, anticipating a foul, chemically-laced odor. It didn’t – just natural grain scent, so I got excited to get dirty in the kitchen.

How to Cook Coarse Bulgur Wheat

There are cooking instructions on the package. But since I didn’t have ready chicken broth, I boiled hot water with one chicken cube and used it to cook the grains in. While the pack said to use 3 cups of broth per 2 cups bulgur, the seller is saying it is best to use the 1 cup grains to 2 cups liquid ratio. I followed the package instructions.

In a non-stick pan, I heated some olive oil and stir-fried the coarse bulgur. I seasoned it with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Then I added the liquid, mixed the bulgur, put the heat on low, and covered it.

The package says to cook it for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Since this is my first time to cook it, I checked the pan after a few minutes. And it didn’t take long for the bulgur to absorb the liquid. I had to add about 2/3 cup of hot water because it was still uncooked.

While I used a non-stick pan and there was olive oil, there is still a chance of the wheat sticking to the bottom of the pan. So it was a good thing that I checked it and kept tasting it until it was done. But I turned off the heat and covered it back about 2 minutes shy of being fully cooked. I allowed the steam to completely cook the bulgur wheat—just like how a rice cooker would do it.

Perfect Combo Meal

This is another case of a kitchen experiment gone right! Another kitchen success story!

Oh my gosh! I am totally in love and converted. I cooked it on the last 20-minute stretch of my baked pesto chicken so that both are still hot when served. It was perfect! We had a restaurant-style chicken dinner over bulgur wheat! So good!

What is Bulgur?

Bulgur is a kind of healthy cereal grain made from dried, cracked wheat. It is most sourced from durum wheat, but other wheat species may also be used. (Source)

Unlike rice, it can be prepared pretty fast. There’s no need to rinse or soak it in water. When cooked, the boiled bulgur has a similar consistency to couscous or quinoa. Since I seasoned mine, it was quite flavorful. I just wonder how it would taste if I used this instead of rice with the Mongolian vegetable sauce.

Bulgur is considered a whole grain, meaning that the entire wheat kernel (with the germ, endosperm, and bran) is consumed. It originated in the Mediterranean and has been consumed for thousands of years. To this day, it is a staple ingredient in many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. And the health benefits of coarse bulgur has been quite legendary.

The Duru Coarse Bulgur that I prepared came from Turkey.

Health Benefits of Coarse Bulgur Wheat

Bulgur is not only flavorful and quick to prepare, but it is also very nutritious. The health benefits of coarse bulgur wheat are just astounding because it maintains it nutritional value that is often lost during refining and processing.

It contains a variety of vitamins and minerals as well as a substantial amount of fiber, which I really like. A single serving provides over 30% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for fiber.

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Additionally, bulgur is a particularly good source of minerals like manganese, magnesium, and iron. And the best news is, it is slightly lower in calories than other whole grains like brown rice or quinoa. That means, it is good for weight loss because you feel full fast.

Bulgur may be cooked like rice (using just water) or used in soups or porridge. Also, you can make bulgur pilaf or chicken stuffing with it.

Where to Get Duru Coarse Bulgur

Buy the Duru Coarse Bulgur from this link. They sell it per set of four (4) packs of 500 grams at P400 per set. So it’s a total of 4 kilos.

Imported and distributed in the Philippines by Dyna Drug Corporation.

• Also distributed by Dyna Drug is the Neucell food supplement made of Yun-zhi mushrooms. Read: Healing Benefits of the Yun-zhi Mushroom for Lifestyle Diseases