Go Back
+ servings
Print

Cig Kofte

A vegan Turkish kofte, made with bulgur, roasted red peppers, tomato, and plenty of spice. This is such a hearty and delicious meal, you'll never miss the meat!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Turkish, Middle Eastern
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 191kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups fine bulgur
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 cup ground walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon seven spices or allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon chill powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sumac, optional
  • 3 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 lemon, juice of
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup roasted red peppers, blended into a paste
  • 1/3 cup tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
  • 6 ice cubes

Instructions

  • Add the bulgur and warm water to the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix for 20 seconds until combined. Remove the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes in order for the bulgur to absorb the water.
  • Add all the remaining ingredients, the walnuts, salt, dried coriander, all spice, cumin, black pepper, red chili flakes, sumac, chili powder, paprika, minced garlic, diced onion, lemon juice, olive oil, roasted red pepper paste, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses, and diced parsley.
  • Mix on low speed for 20 minutes. Every 5 minutes, add in 2 ice cubes until you've added 6 total. This adds a little liquid to the mixture and also prevents it from getting too warm while mixing.
  • Once the 20 minutes is over, you can form the kofte patties. To make the kofte easier to work with, you can refrigerate the bulgur mix for an hour or two (or overnight) or you can proceed in shaping them right away.
  • Place about 2 heaped tablespoon of bulgur dough into the palm of your hand, and make a fist, squeezing your fingers on top of the dough to make some indentations. Alternately, you can form little kebab shaped patties and press your fingers on top to make the indentations. (check out the video to see these methods). Repeat with all the bulgur mix.
  • Serve with lettuce leaves and lemon wedges on the side, you can place the kofte into the lettuce to enjoy!

Video

Notes

This is a vegan kofte dish, some recipes for cig kofte also add raw meat to the above mixture (about 8oz, 200-300g) but I definitely prefer having this vegetarian.
You can omit any of the dried herbs that you don't have on hand or don't care for.
If you find the kofte mix too soft to form into patties, refrigerate for 1-2 hours until a little firmer and it'll be easier to work with.
To make this nut free, omit the walnuts.
Storing leftovers: Leftover cig kofte will last 3-4 days tightly covered in the fridge.
Making in advance: You can make the kofte in advance and story tightly covered in the fridge overnight before shaping into little fingers and serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 617mg | Potassium: 267mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg