Armenian tomato bulgur salad (Eetch)

1. Finely chop the onion and pepper; peel and finely dice the tomatoes.

2. Soften the onion in the oil in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, add the pepper and the finely chopped chilli and fry for another 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato paste and paprika and fry for a minute, then add the diced tomatoes and 250 ml of water, season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.

4. Off the heat, stir in the bulgur, mix well, cover and leave for 20 minutes until the bulgur absorbs the tomato liquid and softens.

5. Fluff with a fork, squeeze in the lemon juice and stir in most of the chopped parsley; add more salt to taste.

6. Serve at room temperature, sprinkled with the remaining parsley, on lettuce leaves or wrapped in lavash – a dish on its own on fasting days, otherwise a side.

Tip: Eetch is even better the next day, so feel free to make it ahead. If you like it hotter, add a few chilli flakes or some red pepper paste.