Aroog
An Iraqi family-table fritter: fine bulgur soaked, mixed with minced lamb, onion and a heap of herbs, then pan-fried as thin crisp-edged discs.
Overview
Fine bulgur (#1 grade) soaks in hot water until soft and fluffy. Lamb or beef mince mixes with the bulgur, grated onion, lots of chopped parsley and coriander, ground baharat, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture should be soft enough to spread, if it's too dry the aroog crumble. Small portions press onto a hot oiled pan and flatten to 1 cm thick discs; cook for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until deeply browned and the meat is just cooked through. Lift, drain briefly, eat hot with lemon and yoghurt.
Ingredients
Aroog
- 200 g fine bulgur (#1 grade; not coarse)
- 250 ml water (just-boiled)
- 400 g lamb (or beef mince, 15-20% fat; leaner gives dry aroog)
- 1 onion (large, grated, with juice)
- 4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 small handful flat-leaf parsley (chopped fine, about 25 g)
- 1 small handful coriander leaves (chopped fine, about 25 g)
- 4 spring onions (finely chopped)
- 1 green chilli (deseeded, finely chopped; optional)
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baharat (Iraqi seven-spice mix)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg (large, lightly beaten)
- 1 tablespoon plain flour (if the mix is loose)
To pan-fry
- 4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil (or sunflower oil)
To serve
- Lemon wedges
- Thick yoghurt
- Pickled turnips (or amba)
Method
Stage 1 - Soak bulgur
- Place the bulgur in a bowl; pour over the just-boiled water.
- Cover with a plate; rest 25-30 minutes until the bulgur has absorbed all the water and softened.
- Fluff with a fork; cool a few minutes.
Stage 2 - Mix
- Combine the mince, grated onion (and its juice), garlic, parsley, coriander, spring onions, chilli, baharat, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, pepper, salt and egg in a large bowl.
- Add the cooled bulgur.
- Mix by hand, kneading lightly for 1-2 minutes - the mince should bind smoothly with the bulgur.
- If the mixture feels loose, add the tablespoon of flour.
- Test: pinch a small piece into a 1 cm patty between damp palms; it should hold its shape with no cracks. Adjust with a splash of water if dry, or more flour if wet.
- Rest 10 minutes.
Stage 3 - Pan-fry
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wide non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium heat.
- Dampen your hands lightly with cold water.
- Shape 4 portions per batch into 7-8 cm discs, 1 cm thick.
- Place straight in the pan.
- Cook 4-5 minutes undisturbed until the underside is deep brown.
- Flip carefully (use a spatula; aroog are softer than burgers).
- Cook the second side 4 minutes.
- Lift onto kitchen paper.
- Wipe the pan; add more oil; cook the rest in batches.
Stage 4 - Serve
- Pile the aroog on a warm plate.
- Squeeze lemon over.
- Serve with thick yoghurt for dipping; pickled turnips and amba alongside.
Notes
- Fine bulgur only: The #1 fine bulgur softens with hot-water soaking and binds the mince. Coarse bulgur (#3 or #4) stays gritty.
- Grate the onion: Don't chop. The juice from grated onion seasons and tenderises the meat, while the pulp blends invisibly into the mix. Chopped onion gives bitter wet pockets.
- Medium heat, full crust: The mix is wet enough that a high heat sets the outside before the inside cooks; the result is raw centres. Medium for the slow brown.
- Damp hands: The mix is sticky. Wet palms prevent it clinging.
Variations
Vegetarian aroog: Replace the meat with 400 g cooked brown lentils (mashed), 1 grated carrot and an extra tablespoon of flour. The texture is softer but the result is good. Stuffed aroog: Press a teaspoon of caramelised onion and pine nut into the centre of each disc before sealing. Festive version. Oven-baked: Place on a lined tray; brush both sides with oil; bake at 220°C for 18 minutes, flipping halfway. Lighter, less crisp.
Serving
Serve with: lemon wedges, thick yoghurt, pickled turnips, amba, samoon bread. As a meal: folded into samoon with sliced tomato, parsley and tahini-yoghurt sauce. Temperature: hot from the pan.
Storage
- Keeps 2 days refrigerated; reheat at 180°C oven for 6 minutes.
- Cooked aroog freeze 1 month; defrost overnight and reheat as above.
- The raw mix keeps 24 hours refrigerated under cling film.
More like this
Lahori Chapli Kebab
Minced beef is mixed with crushed coriander seed, anardana (pomegranate seed) for sourness, finely chopped onion, green chilli, ginger and a generous handful of chopped fresh coriander. Egg, gram flour and a small amount of cornflour bind the mixture loosely. The patties are pressed paper-thin (chapli means slipper, after the shape) and shallow-fried hot in beef fat or oil until the edges crisp and the centre stays juicy.
Samosa Pakistani
Pastry dough: plain flour, ghee, salt, ajwain seeds, and warm water are kneaded into a stiff oil-rich dough; rests for 30 min. Filling: ground beef (or lamb) sautées with onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli and a Pakistani spice blend (garam masala, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric). Frozen peas join; the mixture simmers dry; cooled fully. Dough divides into 10 balls; each rolls into a thin oval, cut in half to make 2 half-moons. Each half-moon forms a cone (one flat edge becomes the seam, sealed with flour paste). Cone fills with cooled filling. Top edge of cone seals with flour paste. Deep-fried 175°C 3-4 minutes per side until amber-crisp.
Iraqi Falafel
Dried chickpeas soak in cold water 24 hours, the long soak hydrates them fully without cooking. Once drained, they are ground with onion, garlic, fresh coriander, parsley, dill, green chilli, cumin, coriander seed and ground cardamom to a coarse pale-green crumb. Bicarbonate of soda adds at the last minute for the open, fluffy interior. The mix chills for 30 minutes; small patties form; deep-fry at 175°C for 3 minutes until deep gold outside, fluffy and bright green inside. Eaten in warm samoon with the trimmings.
Aushak
Aushak are the Afghan leek-and-mint dumplings that share their plating shape with mantu: a smear of garlic yogurt under, dumplings boiled and fanned over, a thick lamb meat sauce ladled across the top, dried mint and chilli to finish. The filling is just leeks (or scallions), salted briefly to draw the water out, squeezed dry, then mixed with fresh mint, ground coriander and pepper. Wonton wrappers (or homemade dough) seal around a teaspoon of filling pinched into half-moons or triangles. While the dumplings boil, you make the topping: ground beef or lamb fried with onion, garlic, tomato paste and dried mint, simmered into a thick savoury sauce. The yogurt sauce is just chaka with garlic. Plate together while everything is still warm.