Çiğ köfte: the vegan version of köfte
Okay, these funny little balls don’t look particularly appetizing. But don’t click away from this article just yet, because honestly: these vegan spicy flavor bombs from Turkey are absolutely worth it.
Çiğ köfte: raw meat
Literally translated, çiğ köfte (pronounced: ‘tsjie kuf-tuh’) means raw köfte in Turkish. And that’s what they originally were: seasoned raw meatballs made with very lean ground lamb or beef. Not very vegan, then.
Çiğ köfte: vegan
So is the vegan version some kind of hipster trend, like vegan burgers, hot dogs and nuggets? Nope, definitely not. It’s the result of a ban the Turkish government imposed in 2009 on the sale of this typical street food snack. After all, the combination of the hot Turkish sun and raw meat isn’t necessarily the safest. So the snack had to be replaced by a safe vegan version, popularly known as ‘yalancı’: liar. At home, people still make the meat version as usual, by the way.
Çiğ köfte: how to make it
Vegan çiğ köfte is made with ground walnuts, bulgur, salca (tomato or red pepper paste), finely ground bread, garlic, onion, cumin and—essential— isot: a special dried pepper with an earthy and spicy as well as sweet and smoky flavor.
You can read here exactly how to make vegan çiğ köfte, but know this: it takes quite a bit of time. Aside from needing to rest overnight, the rule also applies that the longer you knead it, the better the texture becomes. More or less the same goes for the meat version, but instead of walnuts you use extremely lean ground lamb or beef.
Çiğ köfte: how to eat it
Do as the locals do and eat your çiğ köfte in a leaf of iceberg lettuce with a little fresh lemon juice drizzled over it and, optionally, a bit of fresh mint or parsley. And then: take a bite. Really hungry? You can also put them in lavash or dürüm (Turkish flatbreads).
Çiğ köfte: where to get the best ones
In the Netherlands, only the vegan version is available as well. So where can you get the best ones? On the recommendation of my entire Turkish in-law family: Cigköftem is the place to be. The others often taste bland or are too spicy, but that’s not the case at Çiğköftem (you’ll find several locations throughout the Netherlands).
They offer various packages: from a half portion with 10 çiğ köfte to a family package with 40 pieces, 8 breads, a whole head of iceberg lettuce, fresh herbs, sauce and a liter of Ayran. So if you’re still wondering what to drink with it: the Turkish yogurt drink Ayran , of course.
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