Cig Kofte
The modern meatless version sold on every Turkish high street: fine bulgur kneaded with pepper paste and spices until it turns into something deeply savoury. Wrapped in lettuce with lemon, it disappears fast.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Serves
- 2
- Effort
- Easy
What you need
Written for 2 — nudge the counter and the numbers follow.
0 of 10 in the basket.
How you make it
Put the bulgur in a wide bowl, pour over the just-boiled water, cover and leave 8 minutes until every grain has swollen and softened.
Add the pepper paste, tomato puree, grated onion, cumin, pul biber and salt.
Knead firmly with your hands for 5 minutes, pressing and folding, until the mixture darkens, holds together and no longer feels grainy.
Work in the olive oil a tablespoon at a time, kneading until the paste is smooth and slightly glossy.
Squeeze small portions in your fist to make ridged torpedo shapes, about 12 in total.
Serve on lettuce leaves with parsley and a hard squeeze of lemon over the top.
Read all that and thought “absolutely not”?
Completely fair. Cig Kofte is sitting in the Turkish kitchen right now, it costs nothing, and it will never arrive.
Order it insteadMore from the Turkish kitchen
Charcoal, yoghurt and bread worth the trip alone.