Fellah Koftesi

5 from 6 votes

Fellah Köfte is a delicious vegetarian bulgur dish made with simple ingredients such as bulgur, semolina, onion, tomato and pepper paste, and spices.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Turkish

Diet: Halal, Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Servings: people

Calories: 359kcal

Place the bulgur and semolina in a large bowl and add the hot water.
Stir well using a spoon and cover the bowl with a cling film or clean kitchen towel, set it aside until it cools down.
Add 3 tablespoons (25 grams) of flour, tomato & pepper paste, egg, grated onions, salt and cumin powder.
Mix well with your hands until all combined to form a smooth mixture.
Fill a large pan with plenty of water, add a teaspoon of salt and put it on medium heat for cooking the koftes.

Set a bowl of water aside and start shaping the mixture into small dumplings/koftes.
Take a small amount from the mixture and turn it into a small ball, the size of a walnut. Make sure you wet your hands to avoid the mixture sticking to your hands.
Wet your finger and make a small indentation in the centre of the ball. Set it aside on a lightly floured tray or a large plate.
Repeat the same with the rest of the bulgur mixture and give the tray a gentle shake to make sure they all are covered with flour.
When the water comes to a boil, add the dumplings carefully into the boiling water.
Cook them for 13 to 15 minutes, or until they start floating on the surface.
Proceed to prepare the tomato sauce while the dumplings are cooking.

Heat a large pan or a wok on medium heat and add the olive oil.
Add the pepper paste and cook it for a few minutes before adding the garlic, chopped tomatoes and spices.
Give the mixture a good stir, cover the pan and cook it until the tomatoes are softened, for 6 to 7 minutes.
When the dumplings are cooked, transfer them into the wok with the tomato sauce using a slotted spoon.
Shake the pan until all the dumplings are covered with the sauce, or stir gently with a wooden spoon, to avoid breaking the dumplings.
Transfer them on a serving plate and garnish with chopped parsley.
Serve with a dollop of yoghurt (strongly suggested!).

This recipe makes about 55 small dumplings, enough for 3-4 people as a main meal or 5-6 people as an appetizer or side dish.
Add some minced meat to the tomato sauce if you want to add some extra flavor and texture to this comforting dish. Simply brown the mince with olive oil before adding the pepper paste and the rest of the ingredients.
When shaping the meatballs make sure you wet your hands to avoid the mixture sticking to your hands.
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days in the fridge. For longer shelf life, you can store leftover Fellah Koftesi in the freezer for up to 3 months!