Funny enough my friends around me have been asking me to make kısır for them, like all my life…
It started in high school as far as I remember, being alone at home frequently, I had the whole gang at home shooting tequilas, singing and sometimes studying. Those study days were so rare, we had to make them memorable, worthy. So I used to cook for the gang, not the pots and pans of cooking, but salads, sandwiches, chips, etc… Kısır was one of the studying-today-party-deals.
Everyone has their own kısır recipe, so this is my basic one, changing up to my mood and seasons. Kısır is made from bulgur -cracked wheat-, biber salçası –pepper paste-, spices, spring onion, parsley, olive oil, sumac molasses and pomegranate molasses. Spices consists of cumin, pul biber –pepper flakes-, mint, sumac.
The sour notes of sumac makes a decent harmony with pomegranate and lifts up the intensive taste of the pepper paste. Minced parsley and thinly chopped spring onions gives crunchiness and a green taste, giving you a nice break, wrapped in with the spices.
This salad makes you feel whole, naughty, awake and happy. In every bite, over and over again!
