Fellah Koftesi is a delicious vegetarian bulgur dish made with simple ingredients such as bulgur, semolina, onion, tomato and pepper paste, and spices. You can serve this traditional Turkish recipe as a vegetarian main, an appetizer, or as a side dish.
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Fellah Köfte is very easy to prepare but needs a bit of labor shaping the tiny cute dumplings. However, the end result is definitely worth the effort! I find it quite therapeutic so I usually do this budget-friendly dish in batches and freeze some to serve later.
Add some ground beef to the tomato sauce for an extra indulgence and thank me later. So yummy!
Why This Recipe Works?
- Fellah Koftesi is a flavorsome, hearty, and budget-friendly dish to feed the whole family.
- It is very easy to make this vegetarian dish with a few pantry/fridge ingredients.
- You can prepare the dumplings a couple of days ahead and mix them with the tomato sauce when you are ready to serve them.
- 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.
- Similar to Mercimek Kofte (Vegan Lentil Balls), they are vegetarian, full of nutrition, and flavorsome.
- Fellah Köfte tastes even better when served with a dollop of yogurt (strongly suggested!).
What is the Origin of Fellah Köfte?
Fellah Köfte is a traditional dish originating from the Gaziantep, South East region of Turkey.
Gaziantep is known for its rich culinary traditions, and Fellah Köfte is one of the many dishes that showcase the region's unique flavors and cooking techniques. Fellah köfte has been a staple of Gaziantep cuisine for many years and has since spread throughout Turkey and beyond, becoming a popular dish in many other countries.
The dish is named after the word "fellah," which means "peasant" in Turkish and reflects its humble origins as a simple yet satisfying meal made from basic ingredients that were readily available to farmers and rural communities.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Bulgur Balls
- Bulgur - Use the finest-grade bulgur wheat for this recipe. You can find it in the Middle Eastern / Turkish markets and online from Amazon.
- Semolina - It is one of the key ingredients and it works as the binding agent in the bulgur kofte mixture. I use fine semolina which can be found in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
- Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavor to the dishes as well as a bright red color. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon .
- Red pepper paste - Turkish red pepper paste is a rich, delicious paste made with juicy, spicy red peppers and I use it quite often with my Turkish recipes. You can buy it from Turkish or Middle Eastern shops or online from Amazon. Substitute it with tomato paste if you don't have it in hand.
- Spices - Adjust the amount to your taste. You can use different spices such as paprika, cayenne, ground coriander, or turmeric.
- Egg - It helps to bind the bulgur, semolina, spices, and onions. A small egg or half of a large egg is enough for this amount of mixture.
Tomato Sauce
- Olive oil - I use good quality olive oil to achieve the best flavor. You can substitute it with butter.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavoring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Turn it into a paste with a Mortar and Pestle or grate it using a Microplane Zester Grater. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.
- Tomatoes - Use the best fresh tomatoes you can find (like plum tomatoes).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making small koftes may take a little bit of time but it is very easy to make them. To achieve the best results you need to follow a few simple steps and tips:
Prepare the Bulgur Kofte Mixture
Place the bulgur and semolina in a large bowl and add the hot water. Stir well using a spoon, cover the bowl with a cling film or clean kitchen towel, and set it aside until it cools down.
Add 25 grams of flour, tomato & pepper paste, egg, grated onions, salt, and cumin powder.
Mix well with your hands until all are 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 to cook the koftes. Set a bowl of water aside and start shaping the mixture into small dumplings/koftes.
Shape the Dumplings
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 center 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.
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
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.
Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, and spices to the pan.
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 to a serving plate and garnish with chopped parsley.
Top Tip From the Chef
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.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve these tasty vegetarian dumplings as a main meal with a dollop of yogurt and a side salad such as Gavurdagi Salatasi (Tomato and Walnut Salad), Greek Cucumber Salad, or Rocket Salad with Parmesan.
Or you can serve it as an appetizer for your dinner parties.
Recipe FAQs
Fellah Koftesi is also a great side dish for your favorite Turkish Recipes such as Karniyarik (Stuffed Aubergine with Mince) and Baked Prawns (Karides Guvec).
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!
Yes, you can prepare the meatballs up to three days in advance and keep them refrigerated until when you need to cook them.
You can also prepare the sauce up to three days in advance and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
Fellah köfte is not gluten-free as it contains bulgur wheat, which is a form of wheat that contains gluten.
Related Recipes
For more Turkish Vegetarian Dishes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this vegetarian lentil kofte dish "Fellah Koftesi" as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
Bon appétit! / Afiyet olsun!
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Fellah Koftesi
Equipment
Ingredients
For Bulgur Kofte Mixture
- 200 g finest grade bulgur
- 80 g fine semolina
- 330 ml hot water
- 25 g plain white flour / all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ tablespoon pepper paste
- 1 small egg
- 1 small onion (grated)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (plus 1 teaspoon extra for cooking water)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ⅓ cup plain flour (for dusting)
For the Tomato Sauce
- 30 ml good quality olive oil
- 200 g tomato (blitzed or grated)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon pepper paste
- ½ teaspoon chilli
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- chopped parsley (for garnish)
- yoghurt (for serving, optional)
Instructions
Preparing the Bulgur Kofte Mixture
- 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 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.
Shape the Mixture into Dumplings
- 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.
Prepare the Tomato Sauce
- 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!).
Notes
- 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!
Giles
Wonderful recipe!
I made this for my vegetarian friend. I halved the recipe, I wish I didn’t! It went down really well, I will double the recipe next time and freeze some.
Samuel
Excellent! Easy to follow and delicious!
Stacy
I made these and they were amazing. They froze so well, and I ate them with Greek Salad . I’ll definitely be making them again.
Greg
Have made them a couple of times now. Absolutely fabulous. Easy to follow. Simple menu and the the flavour was delicious! Thank you!
Nadine
Amazingly Good! Will definitely making it again, thank you for the recipe.
Melissa S
bunları seviyorum! Harika tarif! These are so good and umami, you don’t miss the meat. teşekkürler.
Ayla Clulee
Rica ederim Melissa, thank you for your nice comment!
Ayla