Vegan Cig Köfte (Çiğköfte) Wraps With Gherkins, Pineapple And Walnut

Dear friends of tasty food,

I decided to start a blog for vegan food and will start today with a tasty variation of vegan Cig-Köfte.

Foto by Christian Böhning

Cig Köfte are a popular dish in the southeast of Turkey and Armenia and can be translated as "raw meatballs". Due to hygienical needs the turkish variation sold in the streets is vegan.

Different to the traditional recipes I added ground almonds, cinnamon, red lentils and danish smoked salt. Even the pineappel is no part of traditional dish, but it adds a nice fruity sourness. (Thanks to my dear brother for this idea.)

This recipe is for 12 people.

Ingredients:
12 pieces of turkish bread or tortilla wraps
150 gramms red lentils + 300 gramms of water
500 gramms fine bulgur (Köftelik Bulgur)
500 gramms hot vegetable broth
1 onion
2-3 green onions
1 Tomato
1 pointed pepper (red or green)
50 gramms ground almonds
100 gramms paprika paste (hot or mild)
200 gramms tomatoe paste
100 gramms vegetable oil
1 heaped tbsp dried mint
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 - 1 tsp smoked salt
1 and 1/2 tsp sweet paprika powder
1 and 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp field nigella (from the turkish supermarket or persian cumin)
1 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp isot (fermented paprika from the turkish supermarket)
1 tsp chili flakes
1 bunch of parsley
1 fresh pineapple
1 lettuce
1 jar gherkins
100 gramms walnut

Preparation:

For the Cig Köfte:

1. Soak the red lentils in water for about two hours (remove the remaining water).

2. Dash the bulgur with half a liter of vegetable broth and stir it. cover it and let it soak for 10 minutes.

3. Cut the onion and the green onions into very fine rings. Cut the tomato and the pointed pepper into small dices.

4. Put the lentils, bulgur and vegetables into a big bowl and add the ground almonds, paprika paste, tomato paste and the vegetable oil and knead it with your hand mixer. If the mixture is to dry you can add 100 to 200 gramms of water until the wanted consistency is reached.

5. For seasoning add the dried mint, cinnamon, smoked salt, paprika powder, curry powder, isot, white pepper, nigella, salt, chili flakes and the parsley (finely chopped) and knead the mixture again. (If you don´t like spicy meals you should first try it with half of the spicy seasonings.)

ADVICE: You can freeze the Cig Köfte mixture without problems for later useage.

For the filling:
Chop the walnuts and roast themin a pan for 2-3 minutes (no oil).
Cut the gherkins and the pineapple into sticks as thick as a finger.
Wash and drain the lettuce.

Now warm up the bread (moisten both sides and put it at 180 degrees celsius into the preheated oven) and spread the Cig Köfte mixture on half of it. Put two lettuce leafs on it and then two pieces of each the gherkins and the pineapple. Now you sprinkle 2 tablespoons of walnut on top.
Afterwards roll your wrap up and enjoy it.