Traditionally this is served as part of a mezze in crispy lettuce leaves. But I wanted a nice accompaniment to my jerk chicken BBQ over the weekend, so I made this along with aubergine fesenjan and cauliflower chaat. It seems like an overload of pomegranate but I can’t have enough of it in the summer and it’s super-good for you. I buy the seeds already prepared from the supermarket.

It made for a scrummy summer feast…even my neighbours who had already had dinner tucked in. We finished off with my baked apricots.

Serves 4

400 g bulgur wheat
2-3 tbs rapeseed oil
2 large red onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large beef tomatoes or 3/4 tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato puree
125 ml water
4 spring onions
2 large green chillies, finely sliced
1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 tbs pomegranate molasses
juice 1 lemon
handful chopped flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp pomegranate seeds
mint to garnish

Method

Fry onions over gentle heat in oil until soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.  Chuck in the tomato puree and tomatoes and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the water, bring to the boil and add the bulgur and take off heat. Now add the cumin,  pomegranate molasses, parsley, lemon juice the spring onions and chilli give it all a good stir. Leave on one side and wait for bulgur to swell as it cools down. Season.

When ready to serve just add the pomegranate seeds and mint.

getting ready for the BBQ