Çiğ Koefte – Vegan Turkish Finger Food

Cig koefte are highly seasoned meatballs from Turkey, perfectly suited as a to go snack. Whether rolled in a round flad bread or just straight from a salad leave, cig koefte are just perfect for a picnic or other finger food occassions. Especially on hot summer days it goes perfect as a refreshing and filling snack for lunch. Originally the mixture is made from minced meat. But today even in Turkey cig koefte is mainly served in a vegan version made of wheat (bulgur or couscous), as they need to be made vegetarian by all fast food shops and street vendors for hygiene reasons by law.

CIG KOEFTE

Ingredients for 6-8 servings of cig koefte (about 1,50 Euros each):

CIG KOEFTE

• 400 g couscous (or fine bulgur)
• 400 ml water + some more
• 1 small bunch of pasley
• 1 small bunch of mint
• 3 spring onions
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 6 tbsp (hot) Turkish paprika purée
• 6 tbsp tomato purée
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp chili flakes
• 2 tbsp coriander powder
• 2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp salt

TO SERVE

• 1/2 iceberg lettuce
• 2 tomatoes
• 1-2 lemons
• 1 bunch parsley
• optional: pomegranate syrup
• 6-8 big round flat bread

Zubereitung
1. Pour 400 ml of boiling water over the couscous and leave to steep for at least five minutes. Meanwhile finely chop and mix all cig koefte ingredients or use a blender to chop them up. Add everything to the couscous and knead well with your hands until it becomes an evenly, sticky mixture. Add some more water now depending on the desired texture.

2. Let it rest for a while or start directly by pressing it into its typical form. The best way to do so is to put a small amount of the mixture in your forehand and press it between your fingers so that your fingers leave a mark on the koefte.

3. Serve with iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, lemon slices and pomegranate syrup on a large plate or enjoy it directly rolled with the other ingredients in a round flat bread.