Bulgar, a wheat that has been cooked, cracked, and dried, is used in parts of the Punjab (northwestern India) to make a variety of nutritious pilafs. The coarser-grained bulgar is ideal here. Serve as you would a rice pilaf.

Ingredients

　　3 tablespoons olive or canola oil

　　1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

　　1 teaspoon very finely grated peeled fresh ginger

　　1 medium tomato, very finely chopped

　　1 cup peas, fresh or frozen and defrosted

　　1 cup coarse bulgar wheat

　　1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　3/4 teaspoon salt

　　Pour the oil into a smallish but heavy pan with a tight-fitting lid and set on medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Ten seconds later, put in the ginger. Stir once and add the tomatoes. Stir for a minute and add the peas, bulgar, cayenne, and salt. Turn heat to medium and stir gently for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly, turn heat to very, very low, and cook gently for 35 minutes. Turn off the heat. Lift the lid and quickly put a dish towel over the pilaf. Cover again with the lid and leave in a warm place for 20 minutes, allowing the towel to absorb some of the moisture. Fluff up and serve.

　　Excerpted from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka by Madhur Jaffrey. Copyright © 2010 by Random House. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Buy the full book from Amazon.