Purslane Dish - Antep Style

(Pirpirim Aşı - Gaziantep)

1/4 cup green lentils
1/4 cup black-eyed peas
1/4 cup chickpeas, canned, rinsed
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup Turkish Bulgur, small or large grain, soaked into hot water for about 5 minutes, drained
1 large tomato, peeled, diced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small cubanelle pepper, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, mashed with salt
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 1/2 cups hot water
Salt
Pepper
~
250 g Purslane, washed and drained or 100 g Rosettes
2 tbsp pomegranate paste
1 tsp dry mint
1/2 tsp paprika
4-5 tbsp extra virgin

Boil the green lentils and black-eyed peas with 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes, then rinse and drain.

Meanwhile, saute the onion with olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes at medium-low heat. Add the purslane, cover and cook for 5-6 more minutes at medium heat. Add the pomegranate paste, dry mint, paprika and olive oil, stir. Turn the heat off and let it rest for 5 minutes, serve.

2 servings.

* Purslane is one of my favorite vegetables and not well known in Canada. The plant has thick, small, round shaped moist leaves. The stems are especially juicy and delicious. It grows like a weed everywhere. I used to have them in my backyard, but they were smaller than they should be. But, I moved to a condo a few years ago so I am not able to pick them up from my backyard anymore:( Recently a friend of mine told me that she found something that looks like Purslane at Loblaws and Longo’s in Toronto with the name of Rosettes:) They smell like roses when you chew it:D