Delicious Vegan Cigkofte: The Perfect Spicy Meatless Snack

Legend has it that cig kofte was first made by the mother of the Prophet Abraham or an unknown hunter by beating bulgur and game meat with stone during the famine. According to the legend, on the order of Nemrut that no house's chimney will smoke, food is started to be cooked without fire. This is how this recipe first invented.
Isot or Urfa biber, also called urfa pepper or isot pepper is a salty, spicy, deep maroon colored Turkish chile pepper sold in flakes. The pepper is mostly cultivated in the Urfa region of south eastern Turkey and turns to a deep red color as it ripens on the plant. It’s then sun-dried and sealed in bags to “sweat” at night, preserving the pepper’s natural oils on its skin. This "sweating" gives the peppers the desired dark red or maroon color. Isot has a delicious and complex flavor that can add depth and spicy, smoky nuance to any dish, especially to Cigkofte.
🌶️ Isot pepper: amzn.to/462mGWN
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Ingredients:
• 2 cups fine bulgur, 400 g
• 1 onion, finely chopped or grated, 200 g
• 5 - 6 cloves of garlic, minced, 20 g
• 1 cup crushed or grated tomatoes, 200 g
• 80 g isot / Urfa biber, 8 tbsp, 1/2 cup - Isot pepper: amzn.to/462mGWN
• 40 g pul biber, Turkish chili flakes, 4 tbsp, 1/4 cup
• 5 tbsp tomato paste, 80 g
• 2 tbsp chili paste, biber salcasi, 30 g
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp paprika or cayenne chili powder
• 2 tsp kofte spice (or mix 2 part cumin, 1 part black pepper, paprika, chili, allspice, coriander powder)
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 cup olive oil, 200 ml
• ¼ cup pomegranate molasses, 50 ml
• Juice of 1 lemon, ¼ cup, optional
• 1 cup / 200 ml cold water or 1 cup crushed ice
• Extra lemon juice and olive oil to shape the patties
• Lettuce leaves, fresh mint, lemon wedges to serve
Instructions:
1. Grate or very finely chop the onion squeeze the juice and grate the garlic, transfer into a large tray
2. Add 1 tbsp salt and knead for a few minutes until the onion juice is released and softened
3. Add 5 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp chili paste (biber salca), knead and mix until combined
4. Add the bulgur, mix and knead for 5 minutes until combined
5. Crush the peeled tomatoes or finely grate them using a hand grater
6. Add 1/2 of the crushed tomatoes into the bowl
7. Knead 10 mins until the bulgur soaks the liquid and feels dry
8. Soak the isot and pul biber in 1/2 cup olive oil, mix and let them sit for 10 mins
9. Add the soaked spices, rest of the tomatoes and knead for another 5 mins until
Links to some of the ingredients and equipments I use (Affiliate links*):
🍳 Vegetable grill pan: amzn.to/3N8KrDU
🍳 Baking Sheet: amzn.to/3QtKPgg
🔪 My favorite (budget) Whetstone for Knife Sharpening: amzn.to/3L8UmqC
🔪 WÜSTHOF CLASSIC IKON 8 Inch Chef’s Knife : amzn.to/3Ju1RXM
🔪 SHI BA ZI ZUO Chinese cleaver: amzn.to/3NAafr1
🧤 Food Safe Black Nitrile Gloves, Box of 100: amzn.to/3E1wId0
🍢 Flat Kebab Skewers: amzn.to/3DYZMlq
🍢 Square Skewers: amzn.to/3rqlzxc
🔪 Turkish Kebab and Meat Knife 50 cm: amzn.to/3JvUY80
🥣 Round Mixing Tray Stainless Steel: amzn.to/3POft48
*Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

[@Nella-ye6pk]

I would love to see more vegan recipes! 😍💚

[@user-sx9cp9pt1c]

Ben çığ köfte çok seviyorum ❤Hatta Türk yemeklerinin nasıl yenileceğini bile öğretiyorsunuz ki biz yabancıler için çok ilginçtir ❤ čok teşekkür ederim

[@globalgypsy7913]

I will need to make this Cigkofte. Thanks so much for the vegan recipe.

[@stuartfoster7911]

You will never know how long I have been waiting for you to make this very video...thank you so much

[@inorrbotten1]

Thank you for sharing a lot of animal friendly recipes 💚💚

[@bmehta4515]

Love your vegetarian/vegan dishes

[@xiaotuzi.fnb1]

I love what you did 😍❤EXCELLENTRecipe👍🏻🌶 ... And yes we want the recipe with raw meat absolutely 😍🌶

[@TheStockwell]

This looks amazing. I appreciate all the work and all the kneading. That's what turns this into something you MAKE, not just assembled. Best wishes from Vermont 🍁

[@Helgepoi]

Mate, as a Turk, you gotta try it. Hell, I think it'll be great even with maple syrup on it

[@spacemonx]

Oh wow this looks eXtra delicious 🤤 the kneading I suppose is to sort of “cook” the bulgur. Pls do another video on the one with meat, you made me quite curious 🤓 Thank you 🤍

[@O.W.A.]

Nice! I usually use grated mushrooms to make ground-"beef" replacement for mince and burgers. It's great to get other ideas for different tastes and textures! New subbie here! 🙏😋

[@yeycrrrrow]

Amazing dish!

[@deebee4817]

Great video. Thanks.

[@agnusdei8442]

Looks perfect, bon appétit

[@harikaa.4763]

So yummi😍

[@hibertansiyar]

Respect! not only lemon juice but also pomegranate! Also not everyone knows about the different kind of bulgur. I'm guessing you are from the eastern or south-eastern part of Turkey. Thanks a lot, I'm sure the end product is tasting delicious.

[@EverybodyFrytki]

Looks yummy

[@ceoofgreenheartinvestmentf173]

As a Turkish person, this is as close and easy as it gets for foreign folks.. props 👏🏻 Note: add 1/8th of a teaspoon of cinnamon (only for connoiseurs) make sure the chilli flakes are hot Afiyet olsun!

[@chimpira8924]

abi tariflerin harika severek izliyorum. hepsini denedim sonuc harika malum bizde yurt dışında yaşıyoruz olanaklar belli burada genelde yemekleri instant pot ile yapıyoruz senden ricam güzel bir kuzu kokusunu hissetmeyeceğimiz instant pot kuzu kol tarifi yapabilirmisin saygılar

[@xiaotuzi.fnb1]

Amazing 😍😍😍😍 just made it exactly your measurements of ingredients 👍👍 AND 🤭 a second batch exactly the same without lemon neither pomegrenate molasses but with freshly slaughtered lamb meat 🤩🤩🤩👍🌶

[@rileydawson7797]

I'd love to see the traditional version!

[@OKBushcraft]

I'm curious of the flavor... I'd like to see the meat version too, please.

[@muadddib]

Where do you get those flat bowls with grooves? They look quite practical

[@HungryManKitchen]

They are sold in Turkish stores and online, they are called "cig kofte tepsisi".

[@greefkarga7898]

Please make the traditional version as well but keep the kneading to a minimum

[@norapetrosyan5551]

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[@guzideerden6523]

The traditional way is kneading by hand. It takes time and effort. Alternatively kitchen robots, stand mixers even hand blenders are used but the result is not considered the same.

[@anka-z8798]

Çiğ köfteyi hep yaparım.Bu oldukça farklı olmuş. Tebrikler.

[@yeycrrrrow]

Farkı nedir?

[@thomedya]

​@@yeycrrrrowyöreye göre çiğköfteye et konur.

[@khananastarasoi5088]

Nice

[@radicalchanges7163]

Oh wow that is so interesting. What culture is this? Thank you for sharing

[@cebo6511]

Turkish🎉

[@radicalchanges7163]

@@cebo6511 okay thank you so much. My mouth is literally watering so bad rn looking at this food. I hope you have an amazing week.

[@cebo6511]

@@radicalchanges7163 you're welcome! İf you really liked çiğköfte, i recommend trying " mercimek köftesi". İt's easier to make, slightly less spicy and has more protein because its made with lentils 😊

[@mariannemaalouf9730]

Okay, let's see the traditional version with ground meat.

[@jack6964]

I would love to see the meat version too!

[@HungryManKitchen]

Sure, I will make different local varieties as well.

[@BigboiiTone]

I wanna take these and make it into a little patty. Then pan fried

[@BC-js8ye]

Can you also please make a video with recipe for raw meat

[@HungryManKitchen]

Sure, it is on my list 👍