Snack · 90 min · turkish

Icli Kofte (Stuffed Bulgur Shells)

Fine bulgur does the heavy lifting here, with semolina rounding it out. A Turkish snack that takes 90 minutes, start to finish. It is weeknight cooking that still hits your targets — 18 grams of protein per serving. Simple enough for a Tuesday, good enough to serve to guests — that is the whole idea.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fine bulgur
• 0.5 cup Semolina
• 0.75 lb Ground beef
• 2 Onion
• 0.5 cup Walnuts
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 0.25 cup Parsley
• 2 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Cook the onion in butter until deeply golden, then brown the beef with tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and salt. Stir in chopped walnuts and parsley off the heat — the filling must be completely cool before shaping.
2. Pour boiling water over the bulgur and rest 15 minutes, then knead with the semolina, salt, and a splash of water for 10 minutes into a smooth, pliable dough. It should feel like firm playdough.
3. With wet hands, take an egg-size piece of dough and hollow it with your thumb into a thin-walled cup — the walls should be no thicker than a coin.
4. Fill each cup with 2 tablespoons of the cool filling and pinch the top closed, shaping into a pointed football. Wet hands prevent cracking.
5. Fry in 350°F oil 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden and crisp, or bake at 400°F for 25 minutes brushed with oil for a lighter version.
6. Drain on a rack and serve hot with lemon wedges. The contrast of the crisp shell and savory filling is the whole pleasure.

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