The balance of herbs, spice and sourness changes from one Turkish kitchen to another. This version is generous with parsley and uses both lemon and pomegranate molasses. Taste after mixing: the salad should be lively and moist, with separate tender grains rather than a wet dressing at the bottom of the bowl.
Kısır — Recipe Card
Herby bulgur salad with pomegranate
Makes 4 servingsUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Kısır
Soak the bulgur
Put the fine bulgur in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water, stir once and cover. Leave for 15 minutes, then fluff with a fork. The grains should be tender. If still firm, add 1–2 tablespoons of boiling water, cover and wait a few more minutes.
Work in the pastes
Add the tomato paste and pepper paste to the warm bulgur. Use a spoon to mix thoroughly until the grains are evenly red and there are no pockets of paste.
Add the dressing
Stir in the olive oil, lemon juice, pomegranate molasses, dried mint, cumin and salt. Let the mixture cool to room temperature before adding the fresh greens.
Fold in the herbs
Add the spring onions, parsley and diced tomato. Toss gently, then taste. Add more lemon or salt as needed. Serve in lettuce leaves or spoon into a serving bowl. Refrigerate if you are not serving it soon.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-bulgur-salad-kisir. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
Make it work in your kitchen
Ingredient Substitutions
These swaps change flavor or texture as described. Keep the original ingredients for the closest version of the dish.
Turkish red pepper paste
Use the same quantity of tomato paste, then add mild paprika to taste. This gives a more tomato-forward flavor and will not reproduce the full pepper flavor.
Pomegranate molasses
If unavailable, omit it and add lemon juice gradually to taste. This is a flavor adjustment, not a like-for-like replacement: the result will be less fruity and less sweet.
Fine bulgur
Look for fine bulgur labelled köftelik or #1. Coarse pilaf bulgur needs different hydration and cooking; do not replace it directly in this recipe.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Adjust for your bulgur
Brands absorb different amounts of water. Begin with the stated amount and add more gradually; you can soften a firm grain, but a waterlogged salad is difficult to fix.
No pepper paste?
Use another tablespoon of tomato paste and a small pinch of mild paprika. It is a practical substitution, with a slightly different flavor.
Choose the right molasses
Look for pomegranate molasses or nar ekşisi with a short ingredient list. Sweet pomegranate syrup can make the salad noticeably sweeter. If unavailable, use a little extra lemon to taste.
How to store and reheat Kısır
Refrigerate promptly in a sealed container and use within 2 days. Stir before serving and refresh with a little lemon juice if needed. Add fresh lettuce only when serving. Bulgur contains wheat and is not gluten-free.
Kısır: questions and answers
Is kısır gluten-free?
No. Bulgur is made from wheat. A quinoa version would be an adaptation rather than this traditional bulgur salad.
Do I cook the bulgur on the stove?
Fine bulgur only needs the covered hot-water soak used here. Check the package and do not substitute coarse bulgur without changing the method.
Can I leave out pomegranate molasses?
Yes. Use a little more lemon juice, adding gradually until the salad has a balanced tang.
