Bulgar Ashkhan

From the Defiance television series  

Defiance is a new(ish) show on the SyFy network with a corresponding MMORPG. It takes place around 30 years in the future on a terraformed Earth hosting a bouquet of new alien races. I am a huge fan of this show because it provides straight-up unashamed science fiction goodness with compelling characters and interesting story lines. Seriously, if you're a fan of sci-fi you should give it a watch. You won't regret it! Well, you might regret it when you binge watch the entire first season and realize the day is almost over and you haven't gotten anything done but you're mostly just sad because there's no more episodes to watch which makes you question your own judgement and maturity... Whew, deep breath. So, Bulgar Ashkhan is a traditional dish of the Castithan race. Castithans are kinda like Tolkien elves in that they are beautiful and graceful but even more arrogant. I say that with love for both elves and Castithans. It is seen in the episode "Brothers in Arms" when it is prepared for alien mob boss and series quasi-villain, Datak Tar. It looks like pink oatmeal but is clearly savory given the identifiable ingredients shown on the preparation table: red chili, bell pepper and spices. When I first heard the characters say "Bulgar Ashkhan" I thought they were referring to actual bulgur (the wheat) so I have included that in the ingredients and made a sort of spicy pink curry and, no shtako, it is delicious! It tastes best served over some white rice. Just like they make on Daribo, presumably!

Ingredients: 
1lb Ground Pow (pork)
1 large Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Red Onion, chopped
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 cup Bulgur, cooked and drained
1-2 Red Chilis, deseeded and chopped
2 tbs Fish Sauce
10 leaves Fresh Basil
2 tbs Red Curry Paste
13.5 ounces Coconut Milk
Beet Juice or Pink Food Dye (for color)
Butter or Oil (for sautéing)

Directions:
1) In a large pan, sauté the onion and garlic in in oil or butter over medium-high heat until the onions are translucent.
2) Add bell pepper and chili and continue to sauté for five more minutes.
3) Add ground pork, basil and fish sauce to the veggies and stir, combining the pork with the veggies and breaking the pork up. Cook until pork is no longer pink.
4) Add the cooked bulgur to the pork mixture and stir thoroughly, continuing to sauté on medium-low heat.
5) Add the red curry paste and stir in. It should be evenly coating everything in the pan. Then add the coconut milk and stir some more.
6) Let simmer uncovered for about ten minutes. Add the beet juice or food dye right before you're planning to serve and stir to make sure the color is evenly dispersed.

Serves 4-5