Turkish · Lunch · Snack · Dinner
Çiğ Köfte (Vegan Spicy Bulgur Patties in Lettuce)
Etsiz Çiğ Köfte
Fine bulgur kneaded with tomato and pepper paste, Turkish chili, walnuts and tangy pomegranate molasses into fiery little patties. Tucked into crisp lettuce leaves with herbs and a squeeze of lemon, they make a fresh, no-cook bite.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- No cooking
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 61% · Fat 28% · Protein 11%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 1 1/4 cups200 gfine bulgur (köftelik)
- 1 cup240 ghot water
- 1 medium110 gonion, very finely grated
- 2 cloves6 ggarlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp32 gtomato paste
- 2 tbsp34 gTurkish hot red pepper paste (biber salçası)
- 2 tbsp10 gisot or pul biber (Turkish chili flakes)
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tsp6 gsalt
- 1/3 cup40 gwalnuts, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp14 golive oil
- 2 tbsp40 gpomegranate molasses
- 2 tbsp30 glemon juice
- 1 cup loosely packed30 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 460 gspring onions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp5 gfresh mint, chopped
- 1 head300 gromaine lettuce leaves
- 1 lemon100 glemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Steps
- 1
Put the bulgur in a large wide bowl and pour over the hot water.
- 2
Cover and leave for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed and the grains are soft.
- 3
Add the grated onion, garlic, tomato paste, pepper paste, chili flakes, cumin and salt.
- 4
Knead firmly with your hands (gloves help with the chili) for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, sticky and holds together; sprinkle in a little extra water only if it feels dry.
- 5
Work in the walnuts, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, kneading for another 2 minutes.
- 6
Fold through the parsley, spring onions and mint.
- 7
Taste and adjust with more lemon, chili or salt.
- 8
Squeeze small handfuls of the mixture in your fist to make finger-shaped patties.
- 9
Serve each patty in a lettuce leaf with a lemon wedge for squeezing over.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a gluten-free version, replace the bulgur with cooked and cooled quinoa, and choose pepper paste and pomegranate molasses labelled gluten-free.
- For a nut-free version, leave out the walnuts or use toasted sunflower seeds instead.
- If you can't find Turkish pepper paste, use extra tomato paste plus a pinch of smoked paprika and cayenne.
- For a milder version, halve the chili flakes and use sweet (tatlı) pepper paste instead of hot.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover patties in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 2 to 3 days; they are best fresh, as the herbs wilt over time. Keep lettuce and lemon separate, and don't freeze them, as the texture suffers.
Make ahead
Make the kneaded bulgur and spice mixture up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Fold in the fresh herbs and shape the patties just before serving.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenTree nuts
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (290 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 354 kcal | 122 kcal |
| Protein | 10.8 g | 3.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58.3 g | 20.1 g |
| of which sugars | 11.5 g | 4 g |
| Fiber | 11.2 g | 3.9 g |
| Fat | 11.9 g | 4.1 g |
| of which saturated | 1.4 g | 0.5 g |
| Sodium | 620 mg | 214 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
