VEGETARIAN ICLI KOFTE ( Veceteryan icli kofte )

This type of stuffed kofte, traditionally made with minced meat but some friends requested the vegetarian version. It was tasty and I enjoyed making these with different vegetarian fillings. Makes 15- 16 icli koftes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small onion, 
• 4 heaped tbsp fine bulgur ( bulgar wheat )
• 4 heaped tbsp coarse semolina
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• pinch of chili and cumin powder ( optional )
• Salt and pepper to taste.

FILLING VARIATIONS

1) Chick peas, cooked with onion, tomatoes, herbs and spices

2) Beans with mix veg

3) Cheese and onion

4) Lentils cooked with leeks, ginger, chili and garlic

5) Boiled and grated potato mixed with spring onion, spinach and grated cheese.

6) Chopped nuts and mashed chick peas.

METHOD

1) Place  roughly chopped onion in a food processor, pulse it couple of times. Add bulgur, semolina, egg, tomato puree, salt and spices. Pulse it several times until you achieve a  smooth paste. Bring it out and make 16 walnut size balls.

2) Take each piece and make a hole  in the middle with your thumb. Then turning the index finger inside the bulgur balls to make thin holes. Wet your fingers while doing so. Make the holes as thin as possible.

3) Fill the holes with vegetarian filling of your chose about 1 tsp in  each ball and close them to make oval or round shapes. At this stage if it breaks, just mend it and close it with little water and cover the holes.

4) Bring 6 -7 glasses of  water to boil, add some salt. Drop 6-8 koftes at a time so they wont overlap. Boil on medium heat for 15 minutes. Take them out carefully with perforated spoon and let them cool on kitchen paper for 10 minutes.

5) Shallow fry them in hot oil, drain them on kitchen paper  and serve them with sweet and spicy sauce.