Kıtel Fum (Sarımsaklı Köfte)

Kitel Fum is a dish unique to Siirt cuisine and is also known as garlic meatballs. Bulgur-based dough is shaped into balls, then boiled, and finally served with fried meat and a garlic sauce. This dish, one of Siirt’s regional delicacies, can be prepared with various ingredient combinations.

Kitel Fum (Siirt Municipality)

History and Origin

Kitel Fum holds a deep-rooted place in Siirt’s kitchen culture. Bulgur, the primary ingredient of this dish, reflects the region’s agricultural production-based nutrition culinary traditions. Enriched with winter-stored fried meat and flavored with garlic, Kitel Fum is typically passed down through generations as a family recipe. It is one of the dishes that represent Siirt’s regional identity.

Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 water cup bulgur for meatballs
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tea tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 200 grams fried meat
• 3 tooth cloves garlic
• 2 medium dried onion
• 1 tablespoon pepper paste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 sweet teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

1. The bulgur is soaked in 1 cup of warm water and left to rest for 10 minute.
2. To the swollen bulgur, add the egg, flour, 1 teaspoon of salt, and cumin; knead for 3–4 minutes until a soft dough forms.
3. Small pieces are broken off from the dough and rolled into balls; to prevent sticking, hands are dipped in water.
4. In a pot, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and sauté the pepper paste and chopped garlic for 1 minute.
5. Add 8 cups of hot water, salt, and black pepper to the pot; once the water boils, add the meatballs and cook for 20 minutes.
6. In a separate pan, melt butter and sauté chopped onions for 2–3 minutes.
7. Add cubed fried meat and cook for 7–8 minutes, then sprinkle with crushed red pepper.
8. The fried meat mixture is poured into the pot with the meatballs, stirred well, and served hot.

Kitel Fum (Siirt Municipality)

Kitel Fum is a dish from Siirt cuisine prepared with bulgur and fried meat as its foundational ingredients. The richer version offers a more complex flavor profile with the addition of flour, egg, and spices. Garlic gives the dish its distinctive aroma. This recipe is an example of Siirt’s regional culinary heritage.