If you haven’t tried Middle-Eastern spices, you really want to give sumac a go! Its tart, lemony flavour makes it extremely versatile. You’ll love these sumac stir-fried veggies, which I’ve paired with bulgur wheat. It works well with rice and potatoes too.

Never tried sumac?

That’s okay; it’s relatively new to me too! I wish I’d found out about it sooner, though, but rather late than never, right?

Native to Middle Eastern countries, particularly Turkey and Iran, sumac is a wine-coloured ground spice made from dried sumac berries. It has a tart, lemony flavour and is used for cooking a variety of dishes, including meats, poultry, salads, bread, dips and desserts.

Sumac makes a less-acidic alternative to lemon juice or vinegar. Al’fez sumac is the only brand I’ve tried so far, so, unfortunately, I can’t tell you how other brands compare. But I can tell you that I love it so far!

I’ve used Al’fez sumac in chicken and vegetable dishes, but today I will share how I use it in a veggie stir-fry that I serve with bulgur wheat and baked tofu. This dish is vegan.

Before I share this recipe, let’s explore the

Nutritional Highlights of Sumac Stir-Fried Veggies with Bulgar Wheat

With an estimated glycaemic index (GI) of 45, this meal is classified as a low-GI meal, meaning it won’t spike your blood sugar or insulin levels too high. This meal is a good source of protein and a rich source of many micronutrients, including:

Calcium: Provides 972mg or 122% of the reference daily intake (RDI) per serving

Vitamin C: Provides 626mg or 782% of the RDI per serving

Folates: Provides 335mcg or 84% of the RDI per serving

Selenium: Provides 24.5mcg or 45% of the RDI per serving

How to Cook

Ingredients

40g bulgur wheat
Small handful parsley, finely chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the veggie stir fry

200g cherry tomatoes, half finely chopped, the other half halved
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 small spring onions, white part and green part chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon vegetable seasoning/bouillon powder
½ teaspoon sumac
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cumin

For the tofu

125g tofu, drained and diced
1 teaspoon sweet chilli sauce

1 teaspoon mixed seeds

Directions

Heat your oven to 200C (400F) and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt and black pepper, then carefully arrange it on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.

While the tofu is cooking, cook the bulgur wheat according to the instructions on the package replacing water with vegetable stock. Add cumin and coriander and a pinch of salt if needed. Once cooked, set aside and allow cool.

To make the stir-fry, heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry the garlic and the white part of the spring onions for one minute, then add the chopped cherry tomatoes, sumac, cumin and coriander. Fry for five minutes, then add the cherry tomato halves, bell peppers, vegetable seasoning and chilli. Fry for six minutes or until the peppers are tender. Add the honey if using and season with black pepper. Take the pan off the heat.

Toss the tofu in the sweet chilli sauce. Then add the chopped parsley to the bulgur wheat and stir well to combine.

Serve the stir fry over the bulgur wheat with the tofu. Sprinkle some mixed seeds if you wish and the green part of the spring onions.

Enjoy!