Cig Kofte

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 900 g bulgur, finely ground
• 600 g minced beef, fat and tendon free, preferably from the loin or neck
• 100 g onion(s), white
• 100 g onion(s), red
• 5 tbsp paprika paste
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 150 ml olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves
• n. B. Chili powder, red, extra hot
• e.g. pepper (Isot pepper), similar to dried allspice
• n. B. Sea salt, coarse
• n. B. Coriander powder
• n. B. cumin powder
• n. B. Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• ½ bunch parsley
• ½ bunch of spring onions
• n. B. Pomegranate syrup (Nar ekşisi)
• 5 ice cubes
• 2 mint leaves
• 3 heads of iceberg lettuce
• 5 lemons

Instructions

Working time approx. 2 hours; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

Recipe of a grandmaster

If possible, use a cig kofte baking tray. If you don’t have one, use a round baking tray with the highest possible sides. Finely chop or mince the red and white onions and the garlic cloves. Then set them aside with the liquid. Finely chop the spring onions, parsley, and 2-3 mint leaves, if possible, with a knife and set them aside for now. Again, the smaller the better. Now pour the unwashed bulgur wheat onto a baking tray. Add half each of the paprika paste, tomato paste, white onions, red onions, garlic, and olive oil. Season everything with a little salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, isotonic pepper, and chili powder. Begin kneading slowly. During the kneading process, sink an ice cube into the mixture every 7-8 minutes. This prevents the bulgur wheat from baking too quickly and essentially slows down the kneading process. After 35-40 minutes, depending on how hard you knead, the bulgur should have a softer consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If you think the dough is still too firm, knead for another 10 minutes. Now add the minced meat to the base mixture. After about 5-10 minutes, stir the minced meat into the bulgur mixture. Then add the other half of the paprika paste, tomato paste, onion, garlic, and olive oil to the mixture and knead for another 5-10 minutes. For a nice color, you can also add a little pomegranate syrup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, isotonic pepper, and chili powder. It is important to knead thoroughly from now on and repeatedly try to mix the dough by rubbing the dough together. After another 15-20 minutes of kneading, check whether the dough has reached a soft consistency. If the consistency isn’t quite right, let the mixture rest for about 15 minutes. Stir in the spring onions, parsley, and mint leaves. Knead for another 3-5 minutes. Cover a large plate with iceberg lettuce leaves and quartered lemons. Roll a portion of the kofte in each iceberg lettuce leaf and enjoy with fresh lemon juice, pomegranate syrup, or as is.