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Çiğ Köfte
This spicy appetizer is especially good with the Turkish alcoholic drink, Rakı. It can also be served wrapped in a lettuce leaf with a little lemon juice. Be forewarned, it is time consuming to prepare but well worth the effort for a special occasion.
Ingredients
- 2 cups fine bulgur, uncooked (also labeled #1 or köftelik bulgur)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ large white onion (or one small onion), finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon spicy Aleppo pepper
- 2 tablespoons Urfa pepper (also known as isot biber)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of allspice
- 3 tablespoons pepper paste (mild or hot, depending on your taste)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup canola or sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
- 1 small or Roma tomato, peeled and blended/grated
Instructions
- In a large shallow bowl or deep tray, mix bulgur and salt.
- Add onion, garlic, all the spices, tomato paste, pepper paste, and oil to the bulgur.
- Mix well with hands.
- Add the pomegranate molasses and tomato to the bulgur.
- Mix well and knead the bulgur until soft (could take between 45 and 90 minutes). Kneading the bulgur with more force will shorten the amount of time. It helps to have a very large deep metal tray or shallow bowl. If not available, use a hard surface such as a countertop.
- When the bulgur is soft and no longer crunchy, squeeze it into small logs, about 2 inches long.
- Serve on a tray with lettuce leaves and lemon wedges.
Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 2 Hours
Total Time: 2 Hours
Cuisine: Turkish
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