Çiğ köfte (vegan Turkish bulgur 'kebab')

Ingredients

• 250 g fine bulgur wheat
• 200 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp Turkish pepper paste (biber salçası) or harissa
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 onion, grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• ½ tsp ground Aleppo pepper
• Salt and pepper

To serve

• Cos lettuce leaves
• Fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Pour the hot water over the bulgur. Cover, rest 15 minutes until the bulgur has absorbed the water.
2. Mix in the pepper paste, tomato purée, onion, garlic, ketchup and all the spices. Knead 5 minutes — this is the traditional step that “cooks” the bulgur through friction.
3. Rest 30 minutes for the flavours to develop.
4. With wet hands, roll tablespoons of the mixture into small cigar shapes.
5. Serve on a plate with lettuce leaves for wrapping, parsley and lemon.