Eetch

Ingredients

Bulgur base

• 250 gcoarse bulgur (number 3), rinsed
• 350 mlboiling water or vegetable stock
• 3 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspsalt

Vegetables

• 2large onions, finely chopped
• 1green pepper, finely diced
• 1red pepper, finely diced
• 3tomatoes, skinned and chopped, or 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 100 mlolive oil

Seasoning and finish

• 1 tspAleppo pepper or sweet paprika
• ½ tspground cumin
• ½ tspblack pepper
• juice of 1 to 2 lemons
• 1large handful flat parsley, chopped
• 4spring onions, sliced
• 1 tbsppomegranate molasses, optional

To serve

• crisp lettuce or cabbage leaves
• lemon wedges

Directions

1. Cook the onions in the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat for 12 minutes, until soft and just starting to colour, then add the peppers and cook another 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato paste and fry it for 2 minutes so it darkens and loses its raw edge; this is where the colour and depth of the dish come from.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, Aleppo pepper, cumin, black pepper and salt and simmer 5 minutes until thick and glossy.
4. Stir in the rinsed bulgur, coat it in the sauce, then pour over the boiling water or stock and stir once.
5. Cover the pan tightly, turn the heat to its lowest, and cook 10 minutes, then take it off the heat and leave it covered, undisturbed, for 20 to 30 minutes while the grain finishes swelling in its own steam.
6. Fluff it with a fork; each grain should be separate, tender and slightly chewy, never mushy. If it is still hard, sprinkle over 3 tbsp of hot water, re-cover and wait another 10 minutes.
7. Once it has cooled to warm, fold in the lemon juice, parsley, spring onions and pomegranate molasses if using. Taste and add more lemon: it should be distinctly sharp.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature, mounded on a platter with lettuce or cabbage leaves alongside for scooping.

Technique

• Eetch, also spelled itch, is the Armenian bulgur salad and it differs from Turkish kisir mainly in being cooked rather than soaked, so the grain absorbs the tomato and onion instead of sitting in them.
• The dish is a fasting staple: no meat, no dairy, and it improves overnight, which is why it appears at every Lenten table and every diaspora buffet.
• Add the lemon and herbs only when the bulgur has cooled. Stirred into a hot pan, the acid dulls and the parsley turns khaki.

Substitutions

• No coarse bulgur: fine bulgur works but needs no cooking at all, only the boiling liquid poured over and 20 minutes covered.
• No Aleppo pepper: use 3 parts sweet paprika to 1 part chilli flakes with a pinch of salt.

Variations

• Some households add cooked chickpeas or brown lentils to make it a main course.
• A Beirut Armenian version leans heavily on pomegranate molasses and mint and is served rolled inside lettuce leaves as a starter.

History

Bulgur salad of Western Armenian kitchens, dressed with pepper paste, lemon and onion; close cousin of Turkish kısır.

Frequently asked questions

What is Eetch?

Eetch is a salad & side from Armenia: bulgur cooked with tomato and pepper, eaten warm or cold. Bulgur salad of Western Armenian kitchens, dressed with pepper paste, lemon and onion; close cousin of Turkish kısır.

How long does Eetch take to make?

Eetch takes 25 min plus 30 min standing of preparation and 20 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings as a side. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Eetch?

Yes, within limits. No coarse bulgur: fine bulgur works but needs no cooking at all, only the boiling liquid poured over and 20 minutes covered. No Aleppo pepper: use 3 parts sweet paprika to 1 part chilli flakes with a pinch of salt.

What is the most important thing to get right in Eetch?

Fluff it with a fork; each grain should be separate, tender and slightly chewy, never mushy. If it is still hard, sprinkle over 3 tbsp of hot water, re-cover and wait another 10 minutes.