Simit Salad | Adana-Style Fine Bulgur Salad with Pomegranate Molasses

Grate the tomatoes until only the skins remain in your hand, and grate the pointed peppers on the fine side of the grater. Put the fine bulgur in a wide bowl, pour the juicy mixture over it, stir once with a spoon, and cover. The bulgur absorbs the liquid in 20 minutes; this resting time is not included in the recipe duration.

Knead the plumped bulgur with your palm and fingers spread; the goal is to loosen the grains, not mash them. Add the olive oil now. Once the oil coats each grain, the salad will not clump. The consistency is right when a squeezed handful holds together but falls apart when released.

Finely chop the parsley, including the stems. The fresh herb ratio in this salad is threefold that of kisir, and coarsely chopped herbs can look bulky on the plate. Thinly slice both the white and green parts of the green onions. Chop the mint leaves just before serving; mint chopped too early will darken.

Add the herbs to the bulgur and fold from the bottom up with a spoon. Add the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes. Stir once more and taste. Do not add tomato paste; that is the key difference between simit salad and kisir.