Middle Eastern Burgers

Made it,
Loved it.

Serving size 4

Prep Time

Total Time 40MIN

Ingredients

⅓ cup bulgur (see ingredient note)
½ cup plus 2 tablespoon warm water, divided
1 tsp canola oil
½ cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup pitted prunes, finely chopped (2 ounce)
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground allspice
12 oz lean ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 small whole-wheat pita breads

Directions

1. Preheat grill.

2. Combine bulgur with 1/2 cup warm water in a small bowl; let soak until the bulgur is tender and most of the water has been absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and prunes; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic burn. Stir in cumin, coriander and allspice; cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add remaining 2 tablespoons water; cook until it is absorbed, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

4. Combine beef, egg, salt, pepper, the onion-prune mixture and the bulgur in a mixing bowl; mix thoroughly. Shape into four 3/4-inch-thick patties.

5. Lightly oil the grill rack (hold a piece of oil-soaked paper towel with tongs and rub it over the grate). Grill the burgers over medium heat, turning once, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Warm pitas on the grill, if desired. Serve the burgers with the pitas.

Ingredient Note: Fiber-rich bulgur is made from whole-wheat kernels that are precooked, dried and cracked. You can find it in natural-foods stores and large markets.