Snack · 50 min · turkish

Cig Kofte (Spiced Bulgur Balls)

This is the kind of Turkish snack you’ll make on repeat — fine bulgur and tomato paste, 50 minutes, big payoff.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 cups Fine bulgur
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 tsp Red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 2 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 3 Scallions
• 0.5 cup Parsley
• 0.25 cup Mint
• 2 tsp Salt

Steps

1. Cover the bulgur with 1.5 cups of hot water and rest 20 minutes until tender. Squeeze out any excess water — the mixture must be moist, never wet.
2. Knead the bulgur with the tomato paste, pepper flakes, cumin, and salt for a full 10 minutes. This long knead is the traditional technique; it softens the grains and marries the spices.
3. Work in the pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and lemon juice, then fold in the finely chopped scallions, parsley, and mint.
4. Taste and adjust: it should be tangy, warmly spiced, and just spicy enough to make you reach for another. Add more lemon or pepper flakes to get there.
5. Shape into small finger-length logs with damp hands, pressing the classic ridges with your fingers.
6. Serve immediately with lettuce leaves, extra lemon, and pomegranate molasses for drizzling — wrapped in lettuce, eaten by hand, no utensils needed.

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