Syrian Sleek Dish

Sleek is a traditional vegetarian food in Syria, because it has a delicious taste and high nutritional value.

Traditionally, many Syrians used to eat it with families, and it is considered perfect peasant food.

This dish is easy to make and has great flavor. The basic ingredients are kale, black-eyed peas, onions, and bulgur wheat.  The best part of this dish is the caramelized onion.  You need to cook the onions slowly on a medium-low heat, and this slow cooking causes the sugars in the onions’ layers to caramelize steadily (not burn) and becoming golden and delicious .The hardest part in this recipe is the dry black eyed peas( you can boil it for one hour).

There are lots of ways to make this Syrian sleek dish

1 cup dried black eyed peas

1 kg fresh kale, trimmed from the rib and torn into 1-inch pieces

1 cup dried Bulgur wheat

1kg onion, sliced

 5 Tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1-Fill a large pot with water, add the black eyed peas and bring to a boil. Cook beans for about 1 hour, or until they become tender.

2- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a small amount of olive oil and the slices of onion and stir to coat them with oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the onions turn golden brown.

3-When peas are tender, add kale and bulgur wheat and cook for another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and drain off any remaining water.

4-Toss mixture with olive oil, salt and pepper, then top with caramelized onions and serve