Icli Kofte (Turkish Kibbeh)

5 from 8 votes

İçli Köfte (some calls it Bulgur Kofte) is the Turkish version of the famous Middle Eastern dish called "Kibbeh".

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet: Low Lactose

Servings: people

Calories: 710kcal

Combine the fine bulgur, semolina and hot water in a large bowl.
Mix well, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes. You can prepare the meat filling while it is resting.
Add the egg, flour, tomato&red pepper pastes, chilli flakes, salt and olive oil to the bulgur mixture.
Mix well with your hands and knead it for 5 to 6 minutes, until the mixture nicely clump together when you squeeze it into your fist.
If the casing is too dry add a little bit of water so it holds together nicely.

Place a large pan or a wok on medium heat and then add the mince.
Cook it until brown, breaking it down into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
Add the butter along with the onions and sauté until soft and translucent without browning them.
Mix in the salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin powder and saute for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley and walnuts.
Let it cool down before filling the casings.

Divide the casing into 12 or 16 equal pieces, depending on how big you want them and shape them into balls.
To stuff the Icli Kofte, you need to dampen your hands. Place a small bowl of water next to you.
Dampen your hands with some water, take a bulgur ball and make an indent in it with your finger in the middle.
Hollow out the inside using your finger into a cup. Keep working with it to thin out the walls of the cup as much as possible without ripping or breaking it.
Add a spoon of meat filling and close up the casing. The amount of filling may depend on the size of the cup.
Seal the top by pinching in the casing and using both hands, compress well to resemble the shape of a football. Continue wetting your hands as needed. Gently work the wrapper closed as you turn the kofte in the palm of your hand. Check out the video below.
Set it aside on a plate and continue with the rest of the balls.
Let the Kibbeh Balls rest in the fridge before frying them.
To fry, heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 175 °C (350 °F).
Deep-fry the kibbeh balls in the hot oil, in batches being careful not to crowd them until the kibbeh shells are brown (about 5 minutes or so).

Make sure to use a large enough pan for frying the kibbeh as the oil should cover the whole balls but still does not exceed.
You can keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months, take them out and fry as much as you need.
While shaping the icli koftes, have a bowl of water next to you to wet your hands. Water prevents the bulgur from sticking to your hands and also helps you to mend any cracks on the outside of the shell if any.
You can bake icli kofte in the oven, air fry or boil them for a healthier option.
The leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
You can fry frozen kibbeh balls without needing to defrost them. Simply add extra few minutes to the cooking time.