Cig Coftey: No Cook Sweet and Tart Turkish App

I ordered this at a local Turkish restaurant, Antepian and fell in love with Cig coftey ( See-gh Kof-tay). It’s filling and has a unique burst of flavor. There’s a high degree of tartness, balanced with sweet undertones, and the texture is smooth yet grainy. Cig Koftey is a bundle of contradictions which is probably the reason why I’m so drawn to it. Let me explain. Traditionally, the dish is supposed to be made with beef – raw! Think of it as the Turkish version of Steak tartar. A bit extreme, you say? Well, the vegetarian version of it has become quite popular.

Bulgar wheat is ground up with tomato paste and spices and formed into meatless kebabs/coftey. If you are expecting the taste of our traditional Sub-continent Qoftey, think again. This is completely different. However, if like me, you salivate at the taste of Imli ( Tamarind) chutney, I have a feeling, you’ll like this. However, I’m the only one in our house who craves this. The boys don’t like the texture much. No worries – more for me to eat!

Let’s get started!
In preparation for this, I especially ordered pomegranate sauce. Rich, silky, sweet and tart molasses! I could possibly chug the whole bottle down. Very close cousin to the sweet Tamarind chutney we make in Pakistan to serve with Dahi Balley. You could also substitute Anardana / pomegranate seeds which is present in some of our kebab recipes. However, the effect would not be completely the same since it would be missing the sugary syrup.

Ingredients:

1 cup fine bulgar wheat ( I used coarse bulgar that I ground up in the coffee grinder first)
½ cup warm water
1 tsp salt
2 – 3 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp lemon juice
5-6 heaped tsp of tomato paste
1 – 2 fresh tomatoes
1 bunch chopped parsley
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder ( original recipe calls for a specific Turkish berry which I didn’t have)
1 tsp paprika
1 ½ tsp cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ onion
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Few drops of red food color ( optional if you want it a more vibrant red. Since I wasn;t using the traditional Turkish berries)

Directions:

1. Put the bulgar in the food processor and pour on the warm water. I did this because I was using coarse bulgar and wanted it to soften. If you are using fine bulgar, you can lessen the water or omit it completely.
2. Add in all the other ingredients and start grinding the mix. Traditionally, this process is done by hand like kneading a dough. The more you knead the bulgar starts to come together. Using the food processor definitely made this easier but you still have to grind it for at least 5- 10 minutes letting the machine rest in between.
3. Let the dough sit for an hour. This helped to soften the bulgar even more. The juices from the pomegranate molasses, oil, onions and tomatoes will also help to soften and infuse flavor in it.
4. After the mix has had time to marinate, make medium-sized balls. It helps if you have some oil on your hands. Shape it into oval discs and use three fingers to make depressions into it. This gives the effect of kebabs.
5. Make a lettuce wrap with your Cig coftey and enjoy this exotic Turkish appetizer!
   Eating this makes me visualize some quaint, cobbled street in a bustling Turkish bazaar. After a morning of sightseeing or shopping, you stop to address your hunger pangs. Perfect street food! Pair it with another favorite, Lahmucan and you are all set to go! The authentic Turkish trip is on hold for now, but till then I’m satisfying my wanderlust with these Cig Cofteys!