Turkish recipe

How to make Çiğ köfte

Name: Çiğ köfte
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 200 g extra fine bulgur (köftelik bulgur); 150 ml hot water; 2 tablespoons hot or mild red pepper paste (biber salçası); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 small onion, grated; 2 tablespoons isot or other chilli flakes, to taste; 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 4 spring onions and a bunch of parsley, finely chopped; To serve: lettuce leaves and lemon wedges

Çiğ köfte

Southeastern Türkiye, especially Şanlıurfa

Fine bulgur kneaded for a long time by hand with onion, tomato and pepper paste and isot, the dark smoky pepper of Urfa, until it forms a soft, spicy paste. It is served in lettuce leaves with lemon. Its name means 'raw meatball', because the traditional version was made with raw minced meat. Since 2008 the raw-meat version may not be sold in Türkiye, and what you buy today is made without meat. Safety: never eat a home-made version with raw meat, which can carry parasites and bacteria.

Serves 6 1 h

Ingredients

200 g extra fine bulgur (köftelik bulgur)
150 ml hot water
2 tablespoons hot or mild red pepper paste (biber salçası)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 small onion, grated
2 tablespoons isot or other chilli flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 spring onions and a bunch of parsley, finely chopped
To serve: lettuce leaves and lemon wedges

Method

Put the bulgur in a large bowl, pour over the hot water, cover and leave for 10 minutes. No meat is used in this version.
Add the pepper paste, tomato paste, grated onion, isot, cumin and salt. Wearing kitchen gloves, knead the mixture firmly for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bulgur is soft and it all sticks together like dough.
Knead in the pomegranate molasses and olive oil, then the spring onions and parsley. Taste and add more salt or pepper.
Take a walnut-sized piece and squeeze it in your fist to make the traditional finger-marked shape. Repeat with the rest.
Serve wrapped in lettuce leaves with a squeeze of lemon.

Made it at home? Tick it off and it goes into your kitchen passport.

Today çiğ köfte shops are everywhere in Turkish cities, and the meatless version is suitable for vegans.