Octopus, bulgur and quinoa
The grill pan
Two octopus
Borambola Wishing Well
Sai Shree yogurt
Mediterranean
Octopus, bulgur and quinoa
A long simmer, then the pieces are charred, and the grains are cooked in the broth.
An octopus, maybe a bit over a kilo. I wrote it as 1 to 1.2 kg. The photograph is two of them, and I did not weigh those. They simmer until a fork goes in, then the pieces are charred in a cast iron grill pan. The grains are half a cup of bulgur and half a cup of quinoa, in the broth. The splash was Borambola Wishing Well, a 2024 sauvignon blanc from Orange. The yogurt is Sai Shree, with garlic, oil, and parsley, and no lemon in the sauce. The cover is the bowl. The octopus stays on top.
Before you cook
Octopus wants a long, quiet simmer before it will take a hard pan. The grains are bulgur and quinoa, not rice, cooked in the broth the octopus made. The yogurt is the cool side. This one has no lemon in it.
- Serves
- 4
- Time
- 90 min
- Level
- Project
- Energy
- 420kcal
- Project
Contains shellfish and dairy.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Cast iron grill pan
- Deep pan
- Knife
Each serving
An estimate from average ingredient values, not a lab test.
- Energy
- 1757 kJ
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Carbohydrate
- 40 g
- Sugars
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Salt
- 1.2 g
- Sodium
- 480 mg
This batch, 4 servings, is about 7029 kJ (1680 kcal), with 12 g sugars and 4.8 g salt.
Ingredients
Tick them off as you go. They reset when you leave.
Shops near you
Use where you are, including when you travel. Nothing is sent until you tap. Or type a suburb. Prices are not listed, because they change every week.
Bagoong, Mang Tomas, Mama Sita’s, and fresh curry leaves are often missing from the big shops. A Filipino or Asian grocer is the backup. Do not swap bagoong for plain salt and expect the same dish.
Method
- 01
Cover the octopus with water. Add the halved onion, the crushed garlic, the bay leaf, and the wine or vinegar. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until a fork goes in. Keep the broth. Cut the octopus into pieces.
- 02
Heat a cast iron grill pan. Char the pieces until the edges are dark. Set them aside.
- 03
In a deep pan, warm the olive oil. Cook the red onion and the minced garlic until they smell sweet.
- 04
Add the tomato, and the capsicum if you are using it. Cook until the tomato softens.
- 05
Stir in the bulgur and the quinoa. Add the paprika, the cumin if you are using it, and salt and pepper.
- 06
Pour in the broth. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the grains are cooked. Add water if it dries out. It should stay loose.
- 07
Fold the octopus through for the last 5 minutes. If you want the edges to stay crisp, leave some pieces on top.
- 08
Stir the yogurt with the bottled garlic, the teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of salt.
Times are a guide. If it needs another minute, give it another minute.
To serve
The grains in a bowl, the charred octopus on top, and the garlic yogurt on the side with a little parsley.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat it in a pan with a splash of water until the octopus is steaming. Do not leave it on the bench.
Leftovers
- Octopus, the next day
For a parent, a student, or anyone who cooked yesterday.
What you made
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Hungry Alan
Octopus, bulgur and quinoa
Serves 4 · 90 min
Ingredients
- whole octopus, cleaned, 1 to 1.2 kg
- 1 small onion, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed, from 2 to 3
- 1 bay leaf
- a splash of white wine, or vinegar
- ½ cup bulgur
- ½ cup white quinoa
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 1 small capsicum, diced, optional
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cumin, optional
- olive oil
- salt and black pepper
- 3 cups octopus broth, from 2½ to 3
- 4 tbsp Sai Shree yogurt, from 3 to 4
- ½ tsp bottled crushed garlic, for the yogurt
- 1 tsp olive oil, for the yogurt
Method
- Cover the octopus with water. Add the halved onion, the crushed garlic, the bay leaf, and the wine or vinegar. Simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until a fork goes in. Keep the broth. Cut the octopus into pieces.
- Heat a cast iron grill pan. Char the pieces until the edges are dark. Set them aside.
- In a deep pan, warm the olive oil. Cook the red onion and the minced garlic until they smell sweet.
- Add the tomato, and the capsicum if you are using it. Cook until the tomato softens.
- Stir in the bulgur and the quinoa. Add the paprika, the cumin if you are using it, and salt and pepper.
- Pour in the broth. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the grains are cooked. Add water if it dries out. It should stay loose.
- Fold the octopus through for the last 5 minutes. If you want the edges to stay crisp, leave some pieces on top.
- Stir the yogurt with the bottled garlic, the teaspoon of oil, and a pinch of salt.
To serve
The grains in a bowl, the charred octopus on top, and the garlic yogurt on the side with a little parsley.
Keeping it
Cool it and keep it in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat it in a pan with a splash of water until the octopus is steaming. Do not leave it on the bench.