Bulgur Veg Balls in Mustard-Yogurt Broth with Mint Butter
You might not think so, but butter is as important to the cooking of much of India, Africa, the Middle East, and all the way north to the Caucasus as it is to French, Swiss, or Scandinavian cooking. So it’s not too surprising to see it surface as a main ingredient in the broth for this traditional Armenian vegetarian bulgur dish. The red bell pepper and paprika tint the bulgur balls a Titian red, while the mustard and butter add a soft yellow hue to the broth. If there are any leftover balls and broth, chill them together thoroughly, until the broth is thickened to a cheeselike consistency. Then press them together and form the mixture into balls. Drizzle with fruity extra virgin olive and serve with crackers or bread.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Bulgur Balls
Broth
Preparation
Step 1
To make the balls, rinse the bulgur, place it in a medium bowl, and add water just to cover. Set aside to soak for 45 minutes. Drain and return to the bowl. Add the scallion, bell pepper, parsley, paprika, cayenne, and salt and stir to mix. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time, until pasty and slightly moist but no longer wet, about 5 minutes. Cover and refrigerate to firm for about 1 hour.
Step 2
To form the balls, with wet hands, roll the bulgur mixture into 3/4-inch balls. Use right away, or cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to cook, up to an hour or so. Do not leave them overnight or they will become dry and crumbly.
Step 3
To prepare the broth, whisk together the yogurt and water in a small bowl. Whisk together the egg and mustard in a separate small bowl. Set both bowls aside at room temperature. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the mint, remove from the heat, and set aside.
Step 4
To sauté the balls, melt the butter in a large nonreactive sauté pan over medium heat. Add the balls and cook, gently turning with a wooden spoon, until browned all around, about 12 minutes. Transfer the balls to a plate and set aside.
Step 5
To finish the dish, return the sauté pan to medium heat and whisk in the yogurt mixture. Cook, stirring, until it is almost at the boiling point. Then slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the yogurt mixture into the mustard-egg mixture. Return the combined mixtures to the pan, whisking gently and constantly. Decrease the heat to medium-low and bring almost to a boil, taking care not to let the mixture actually boil. Add the butter-mint mixture and swirl it around without mixing it in.
Step 6
To serve, return the balls to the pan and heat, still taking care not to let the broth boil. Ladle the bulgur balls and broth into individual wide bowls and serve steaming hot.
