Bulgur pilaf

Finely chop the onion and cut the pepper into small dice.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and cook the onion for 4 minutes. Add the pepper and cook for 3 more minutes, then stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add the bulgur and toast it for 2 minutes, stirring, so every grain is coated in oil.

Pour in 500 ml boiling water, season with salt and pepper and bring back to the boil. Cover and cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.

Add the boiling water carefully — it bubbles up and releases a burst of steam in the hot pan.

Take off the heat, lay a clean tea towel under the lid and leave for 10 minutes. Fluff up with a fork. Done!

The towel soaks up excess steam, so the bulgur turns out fluffy rather than sticky.