Fellah Koftesi
My Fellah koftesi, also known as Fellah kofte or bulgur dumplings, is a super delicious and easy-to-make bulgur dumpling seasoned in delicious tomato sauce. Serve it as an amazing side dish!
Learn to make these soft and delicious fellah koftes/dumplings from scratch.
This vegetarian traditional Turkish bulgur dumpling makes a great dish that is only made with simple pantry ingredients and is nutritious, hearty, and full of flavor.
Try these delicious, comforting meatless fellah koftesi tarifi and be amazed at how scrumptious they are!
Bulgur, the main ingredient in the fellah koftesi dish, is a great source of fiber and is packed with vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of iron and protein.
Love Turkish cuisine? Try these amazingly simple and delicious Turkish recipes: Acuka, Mediterranean green beans, Kereviz salatasi, and Yoฤurt corbasi.
Why Love this Recipe?
There are several reasons why people love this traditional Turkish dish, fellah kofte.
- Taste: It has a unique, delicious, savory flavor.
- Texture: The dish has a pleasan,t chewy, and tender consistency.
- Nutrition: Fellah kofte is a healthy dish packed with nutrients and fiber.
- Versatile: You can customize the flavor of the dish to your preference by using different spices, herbs, and toppings. You may even turn the recipe into a vegan and vegetarian dish.
What is The Origin of this Recipe?
Fellah kofte is a traditional dish from Turkey. It is also popular among the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean. Fellah kofte is considered a healthy, nutritious dish because bulgur, as the main ingredient, is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It has other wholesome ingredients and is low in salt and saturated fat.
Ingredients
- Bulgur. The main ingredient in the fellah kรถftesi recipe. Use the Fine-grind bulgur for this recipe as it will help to hold the dumplings well together.
- Semolina. Another important ingredient that helps in binding the bulgur mixture.
- Flour. I used all-purpose flour. Any other type of flour works fine.
- Tomato paste. Add delicious, rich tomato flavor and red color to the fellah kรถftesi dish. Red pepper paste is another option.
- Tomato. Add bulk and fresh taste to the Fellah kofte dish. Use canned tomatoes or grate fresh ones.
- Garlic. Flavor enhancer. Grind it very fine.
- Water. To soak the bulgur and to cook the bulgur dumplings. You may soak the bulgur in the stock/broth of your choice.
- Egg. Another must-use ingredient to bind and hold the mixture together.
- Oil. I used olive oil. Butter works too.
- Herbs. I used parsley and cilantro.
- Seasonings. Salt, black pepper, paprika, and cumin. You may use other seasonings of your choice. Adjust the amount to your liking.
- For garnish. I used Greek yogurt mixed with dry mint and lemon juice. And sprinkle of chopped parsley and cilantro.
How to Make Fellah Kofte
Follow along with my easy instructions to learn how to make fellah kofte inside your own kitchen.
Step 1. Prepare boiling water. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and fill it with water and add salt to it. Let it come to a gentle boil.
Step 2. Make the bulgur balls mixture. Meanwhile, In a large bowl, add bulgur and hot water and stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest till cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. It will double in size. Then add to it semolina, flour, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, egg, and salt. Mix them all well using your hands. And knead it for about 2 minutes till smooth paste forms.
Step 3. Shape the dumplings/koftes. Take a 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture, damp your fingers and palm of your hands in a bowl of water, and shape it into a smooth ball, about the size of a penny. Then use your pinky finger and make a depression in the center of the ball. Continue with the rest of the mixture. Dust them lightly with flour. It is all worth the effort!
Step 4. Cook the dumplings. Place the dumplings in the hot, gently boiling water over medium-low heat and let them cook till they float on the surface, about 15 minutes. They grow in size!
Step 5. Make tomato sauce. Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium-high heat and add oil and tomato paste to it. Saute tomato paste for about 2 minutes. Then add garlic, tomato, salt, pepper, parsley, and cilantro. Cover and let them cook until the tomato is soft about 5 minutes. If you find your sauce on the watery side, let it evaporate till a thick sauce forms.
Step 6. Mix and serve. Take the cooked dumplings out of the pot and mix them very gently with the tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Plate and garnish with the yogurt mixture and parsley and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Tips
- Make a double batch of dumplings. The bulgur dumplings freeze well. For your convenience, you may make a double batch of the dumplings and save it for later.
- Make them ahead. You can store the shaped dumplings in the fridge about 3 days in advance and use them when you need them.
- Make them small. You can make the dumpling into super small balls, with 1 tsp of bulgur mixture. Therefore no need to make an indent in the middle if you prefer. Overall, smaller dumplings absorb more tomato sauce and result in a super tasty and pleasant fellah koftesi tarifi dish.
- Adjust the flavor. You can use all tomato paste, half tomato paste half pepper paste, or all pepper paste.
Substitutions and Variations
- Make them vegan balls. You may substitute egg with a flax egg and use vegan yogurt for garnish.
- Use your favorite spices and herbs. You may add any spices or herbs you like the best to the fellah kรถftesi recipe. Cayenne pepper, red paper flake, ground coriander, curry, or turmeric. Dill, thyme, oregano, basil, or Italian herbs.
- Use these add-ons. You can add ground beef, ground chicken, or minced beef and chicken to the recipe. Vegetables such as eggplant and mushrooms are other examples. Sautee them first in step 5. Diced sausages, cooked beans, and lentils are great too. Chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, or cashews are other options.
- Shape them into small balls. You may make the balls very small. So no more need to make an indent in the middle.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free flour such as rice flour or oat flour instead.
- Add butter. To make the Fellah kofte dish extra delicious, you can always add a few tablespoons of butter to the tomato sauce.
- Cut the dumplings instead. Make a long 1/2 inch thick stripe of the burger mixture over a well-dusted surface with flour and cut it into 1/2 inch long.
- Make them fluffy. If you wish, you can add 1/2 tsp. of baking soda ( or 2 tsp. of baking powder) to the dumpling mixture. Then, shape the dumplings into small, 1/2-inch, diameter balls. This will make the dumpling fluffy, tender, and light.
- Use them in soup/stew. Add them to your soup or stew recipe to make them a bulky and comforting dish.
Storage and Reheat
Store fellah kofte leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to serve, heat them low and slow on the stovetop.
How to Serve it
Serve fellah kofte as an appetizer or a light meal with a salad. Or serve it as a side dish with:
- Chicken recipes. Gluten-free sweet and sour chicken, fried chicken, and chicken breast kabobs.
- Beef recipes. Eggplant beef casserole, ground beef burger patties.
- Seafood recipes. Baked salmon, salmon patties.
I hope you get to try this healthy fellah kรถftesi recipe that is low in calories and fat. Your entire family will be delighted with its flavor!
Did you try this fellah koftesi recipe? Please let me know how you did it. I love to hear from you!
Please rate, comment, and share this recipe, fellah koftesi, on Pinterest. Thank you!
FAQs
Fellah kofte is a traditional dish from Turkey. It also is popular among the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
Fellah kofte is considered a healthy nutritious dish because bulgur as the main ingredient is packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It has other wholesome ingredients and is low in salt and saturated fat.
Find more vegetarian side dishes:
Fellah Koftesi
Ingredients
- To cook the dumplings you need to add 1 tbsp. salt to 1 gallon 16 cups of water in an 8- quart pot and bring it to a gentle boil.
Dumpling mixture
- 1 cup finely grinded bulgur
- 2 cups hot water
- 1/2 cup semolina
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 tsp. salt or to taste
Tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cup grated tomato
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 3 cloves of garlic grated
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley and cilantro
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp. balck pepper or to taste
Garnish
- Yogurt mixture: Mix 1 cup of greek yogurt with 2 tsp. dry mint and 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley and cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare boiling water. Place a large saucepan over medium-high heat and fill it with water and add salt to it. Let it come to a gentle boil.
- Make the bulgur balls mixture. Meanwhile, In a large bowl, add bulgur and hot water and stir. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest till cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. It will double in size. Then add to it semolina, flour, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, egg, and salt. Mix them all well using your hands. And knead it for about 2 minutes till smooth paste forms.
- Shape the dumplings/koftes. Take a 1/2 tablespoon of the mixture, damp your fingers and palm of your hands into a bowl of water, and shape it into a smooth ball, about the size of a penny. Then use your pinky finger and make a depression in the center of the ball. Continue with the rest of the mixture. Dust them lightly with flour. It is all worth the effort!
- Cook the dumplings. Place the dumplings in the hot gently boiling water over medium-low heat and let them cook till they float on the surface, about 15 minutes. They grow in size!
- Make tomato sauce. Meanwhile, place a pan over medium-high heat and add oil and tomato paste to it. Saute tomato paste for about 2 minutes. Then add garlic, tomato, salt, pepper, parsley, and cilantro. Cover and let them cook until the tomato is soft about 5 minutes. If you found your sauce on the watery side, let it evaporate till a thick sauce forms.
- Mix and serve. Take the cooked dumplings out of the pot and mix them very gently with the tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Plate and garnish with the yogurt mixture and parsley and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make a double batch of dumplings. The bulgur dumplings freeze well. For your convenience, you may make a double batch of the dumplings and save it for later.
- Make them ahead. You can store the shaped dumplings in the fridge about 3 days in advance and use them when you need them.
- Make them small. You can make the dumpling into super small balls, with 1 tsp of bulgur mixture. Therefore no need to make an indent in the middle if you prefer. Overall, smaller dumplings absorb more tomato sauce and result in a super tasty and pleasant fellah koftesi tarifi dish.
- Adjust the flavor. You can use all tomato paste, half tomato paste half pepper paste, or all pepper paste.
- Make them vegan balls. You may substitute egg with a flax egg and use vegan yogurt for garnish.
- Use your favorite spices and herbs. You may add any spices or herbs you like the best to the fellah kรถftesi recipe. Cayenne pepper, red paper flake, ground coriander, curry, or turmeric. Dill, thyme, oregano, basil, or Italian herbs.
- Use these add-ons. You can add ground beef, ground chicken, or minced beef and chicken to the recipe. Vegetables such as eggplant and mushroom are other examples. Sautee them first in step 5. Diced sausages, cooked beans, and lentils are great too. Chopped nuts such as walnut, pecan, or cashew are other options.
- Shape them into small balls. You may make the balls very small. So no more need to make an indent in the middle.
- Make it gluten-free. Use gluten-free flour such as rice flour or oat flour instead.
- Add butter. To make the Fellah kofte dish extra delicious, you can always add a few tablespoons of butter to the tomato sauce.
- Cut the dumplings instead. Make a long 1/2 inch thick stripe of the burger mixture over a well-dusted surface with flour and cut them into 1/2 inch long.
- Make them fluffy. If you wish, you can add 1/2 tsp. of baking soda ( or 2 tsp. of baking powder) to the dumpling mixture. Then, shape the dumplings into small, 1/2-inch, diameter balls. This will make the dumpling fluffy, tender, and light.
- Use them in soup/stew. Add them to your soup or stew recipe to make them a bulky and comforting dish.
