Meatballs with Parsley and Walnuts (Köfte)
Kofta with Filling (Içli Köfte)
Fried Kofta with Bulgur (Bulgurlu Kimyon Köfte, Tavada)
Leek Kofta (Albóndigas de Pırasa)
Lady’s Thigh Kofta (Kadinbudu Köfte)
The shish kebab is a world-renowned dish that owes its fame to the Turks. In fact, Turks came from Asia with the knowledge of making shish kebabs—cubes of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled in no time. Not only are shish kebabs easy to make, they also make a great impression: They’re aesthetically appealing and with a taste that pleases all palates. Turks use lamb exclusively in their shish kebabs, and, considering the top quality of lamb in Turkey, it’s an excellent choice. Although sometimes beef is used in other places, it is tougher and does not deliver the traditional flavor of lamb. Turks also place pieces of fresh tomatoes and peppers in between the meat cubes, which makes the dish more festive and special.
Kofta (or köfte) is another tantalizing meze that has long been popular, most likely because it is both economical to prepare and perfect for sharing. It is no wonder that these walnut-size fried meatballs are a preferred offering at communal gatherings of all sorts, including cocktail parties. You cannot go wrong with kofta, especially if you serve them with a nice side or sauce. Yogurt and Garlic Sauce (this page) is an old standby, but I’ve provided several other recipes for dips that you can serve with kofta, including Tahini and Onions (this page) and Hot Paprika and Walnut Spread (this page).
Meatballs with Parsley and Walnuts (Köfte)
WALNUT-SIZE fried meatballs, what we call köfte, are a ubiquitous offering, especially with drinks at cocktail hour. Even though they can be found everywhere, we are always happy to be served köfte— and, since they are easily picked up with a toothpick, they are often our first choice from the meze platter. This recipe is similar to the typical recipe, but my addition of walnuts, plus a drizzle of tahini and a sprinkle of cumin for serving, will make it more exciting.
2 pounds (910 g) minced or ground lean veal
3 cups (60 g) loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
½ cup (55 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed
1 cup (240 ml) sunflower oil, plus more as needed
In a stand mixer with the dough hook attached, mix the meat with the parsley, onion, pepper, and salt until well combined. (If the bowl of the mixer is small, mix in two batches.) Knead the meat mixture with the walnuts by hand until incorporated. Form the mixture into walnut-size balls (you should have 30 to 40 meatballs) and roll the balls in the flour to coat.
Melt the butter with the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the meatballs in batches until they are golden on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes, adding more butter and oil as needed. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Drizzle lightly with tahini and sprinkle with cumin to serve.
THIS KIND of shish kebab is prepared in the style of the Gaziantep kebab masters (see Note). Tike means “cube” in Turkish. In certain areas of India today, where Turkish-Mughal culture was once dominant, cubes of meat or chicken marinated and then grilled on skewers is called tikka. Although the tike kebab is now popular worldwide, it seems likely that it first spread to South Asia via the establishment of a Turkish-Mughal dynasty in the Indian subcontinent from the sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth centuries.
FOR THE KEBAB TERBIYE (MARINADE)
2 cloves garlic, crushed with a mortar and pestle
2 pounds (910 g) lamb, cut into walnut-size cubes
3½ ounces (100 g) lamb tail fat (purchase from a halal butcher; optional)
2 pounds (910 g) tomatoes, diced
3 to 4 small mild, green chile peppers, such as Anaheim
½ teaspoon mild red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
Make the kebab terbiye: Mix together all the ingredients with 3 to 4 tablespoons water. Add the meat cubes to the terbiye, generously coat each piece, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
Prepare the lamb: Preheat an outdoor grill to medium-high heat. Put the meat cubes on skewers, with a piece of lamb tail fat in between, if using. Assemble the condiments in a bowl. Grill the kebabs for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally. (Cooking longer than this will dry out the meat.) Serve the kebabs on the skewers with the condiments alongside.
Note: In Gaziantep, a cube of raw eggplant and a piece of green pepper or even loquat (if in season) are placed between the meat cubes.
THIS KIND of kebab—a combination of kofta and onions—is normally eaten in a kebab restaurant. It certainly tastes better there because the meat is grilled over a wood fire and cut with a zırh (a special heavy butcher’s knife for cutting meat into small pieces), which gives it a wonderful texture. In addition, the meat is lamb and has fat, and shallots can be used instead of onions. (I have given away the trade secrets!) My addition of walnuts gives the extra crunch that kofta can miss because of modern grinding techniques.
3 to 4 medium onions, sliced about ½ inch (12 mm) thick, or 15 shallots, peeled and cut in half
1 pound (455 g) ground lamb (preferably with some fat), or a mix of ground lamb and ground beef (ask your butcher to run either meat through the grinder only once)
½ packed cup (10 g) fresh parsley, minced
1 to 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup (50 g) walnuts, roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
¾ cup (180 ml) lamb, beef, or chicken stock
¼ cup (60 ml) pomegranate syrup (see this page)
Hot red pepper flakes, for serving
Wrap the onions or shallots in foil and heat in a preheated 400°F (205°C) toaster oven for 5 minutes or in a 400°F (205°C) oven for about 15 minutes, until softened. Transfer to a sauté pan and set aside.
Knead the meat with the parsley, garlic, walnuts, salt to taste, the pepper, and the coriander, if using. Form the meat mixture into walnut-size balls. Put the butter in a preheated frying pan and add the kofta as soon as the butter melts. Shake the pan so the kofta are browned on all sides, but don’t overcook them. When the kofta are browned, transfer them onto the onion slices. Add the stock and pomegranate syrup and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes to cook the kofta through and to meld the flavors. Serve straight from the pan and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if desired.
Note: If you prefer, after browning, transfer the pan to a 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 to 30 minutes to finish cooking.
Kofta with Filling (İçli Köfte)
THIS KOFTA, the pride of eastern Turkey, gets its flavor from the butter in the filling. Since you won’t cook this every day, don’t feel guilty about being generous with the butter. Anyone stingy with the butter will end up with dry kofta—a pity after all that work. Preparing the thin shell requires expertise. I have eaten ones with a shell as thin as chicken skin. Mine are not that thin, but you can’t succeed if you don’t try! These kofta will taste good anyway—as long as there is plenty of butter.
8 ounces (225 g) very lean ground beef (see Note)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter
1 pound (455 g) ground lamb (with some fat)
1 tablespoon mild red pepper flakes
1 packed cup (20 g) minced fresh parsley
Make the casing: Mix all the ingredients in a food processor three times, sprinkling with a little water each time. Let the mixture sit while you make the filling.
Make the filling: In a large pan, sauté the onion in the butter and oil until soft, then add the meat and sauté until cooked through. Add the walnuts, red pepper flakes, red pepper paste, allspice, and parsley and mix well. Let the filling mixture sit until cool.
In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer (otherwise, the kofta will break). From the casing mixture, take a walnut-size piece. Spread it out on your palm until slightly bigger than your palm. Press on it in the middle, but don’t make a hole. Place a spoonful of filling in the middle and cover it by folding over the rest of the casing (try to keep the thickness uniform). Pinch to close. Carefully add the kofta to the simmering water one by one. When done, they will rise to the surface. Carefully remove them with a slotted spoon and place in a warm oven until serving time. The leftovers can be fried in a little oil until heated through.
Note: Be sure to use lean ground beef for the casing. If there is too much fat in the meat, the kofta will break in the simmering water.
THIS IS the most popular street food in Turkey. It takes its name from the sound the patties make when placed on the grill. When there is a football game, the mobile cızbız kofta makers with their special carts fitted with grills, will take their place—with tomatoes and peppers already cut—all around the arena. The air is filled with the appetizing aroma of the grilling kofta and, if you are close enough, you can hear the “cız cız” sound. The secret of their cızbız is that they make thin patties that are fast and economical to grill.
Cızbız kofta is also a popular fast food in Turkey, made in unique restaurants called köfteci. My mother used to make a similar kofta, but it was fried and didn’t really taste the same. I devised this method after questioning a lot of cızbız makers—if I used a fattier meat, it would taste almost the same as the street cızbız. But this less fatty version is still very good and is now a regular dish on our menu at home. The other secret is that the fewer breadcrumbs are used, the better the taste.
1½ pounds (672 g) ground beef (see Notes)
Juice from 1 grated onion, pulp discarded
6 stems parsley; cut the stems and mince the leaves
1 heaping teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil (optional; use only if the meat is very lean), plus more for greasing the pan
2 tomatoes, sliced and grilled (see Notes)
2 green peppers, sliced and grilled (see Notes)
Bread or flatbread for serving
In a stand mixer or by hand, mix together the beef, breadcrumbs, onion juice, parsley, and pepper. Season with salt and add the vegetable oil, if using. Mix for about 3 minutes.
Form the mixture into 24 round or elongated patties about ½ inch (12 mm) thick. Grease a nonstick pan or flat griddle lightly with oil and preheat the surface.
Place the kofta in the hot pan for 1 minute then turn them. Continue to turn them each minute for about 5 minutes. They should be cooked through but not overcooked. If there is room in the pan, cook the tomatoes and peppers at the same time (see Notes). Serve immediately, with the grilled tomatoes and peppers, on warm sliced bread or flatbread.
Notes: For a more authentic version, replace one-third of the ground beef with lamb ground from a fatty cut.
Since the kofta have to be served right away, it is better to grill the peppers and tomatoes beforehand if your pan or griddle is too small for you to cook them together. If you are making several batches, it is best to hold those already cooked in the pan, covered with a thin slice of bread, so that they will stay hot.
Fried Kofta with Bulgur (Bulgurlu Kimyon Köfte, Tavada)
THIS IS a popular kofta of the eastern region. In Turkish cuisine, meat is paired with yogurt or yogurt mixtures. The tanginess of the yogurt makes for an appealing accompaniment to the spicy kofta.
FOR THE PARSLEY AND WALNUT CACIK
1 cup (240 ml) plain Greek yogurt
1½ cups (30 g) minced fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, crushed with a mortar and pestle
½ cup (50 g) walnuts, coarsely broken
1¼ pounds (570 g) lean ground lamb or beef
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon mild red pepper flakes
Vegetable or olive oil for frying
Make the parsley and walnut cacik: Mix together the yogurt, parsley, garlic, and walnuts (don’t add the garlic more than 2 hours before serving).
Make the kofta: Cook the bulgur over low heat, sprinkling with 1 cup (240 ml) water by hand while cooking. When the water has been absorbed, in 3 to 5 minutes, remove from the heat. Let cool. When cooled, mix the bulgur with the meat, onion, garlic, cumin, black pepper, and red pepper flakes, season with salt, and knead for 3 minutes with wet hands. Break off walnut-size pieces from the meat mixture and form them into elongated or round balls. (You should have about 20 elongated or 30 round kofta in all.)
Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) oil in a pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the kofta slowly in the oil, until golden on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature with the cacik. The cacik can be served under the kofta (which will make the presentation really special), or separately.
Leek Kofta (Albóndigas de Pırasa)
THIS IS one of the most popular vegetable dishes stemming from the legacy of Jewish cuisine in Turkey. Why it never became popular among the Turkish people is a puzzle as it is so easy to make and very tasty and economical.
½ pound (250 g) ground beef or lamb
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Trim the leeks, wash them well, and chop them into small pieces. Bring a pot of water with enough water to cover the leeks to a boil. Add the leeks and when they are soft, strain them and squeeze them in a clean kitchen towel to remove any remaining moisture. Place the leeks in a bowl and add the meat and egg. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Form the mixture into balls slightly larger than the size of a walnut. You should have 25 to 30 kofta. Heat 1 inch (2.5 cm) of oil in a pan over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the kofta slowly in the oil, until golden on all sides and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Lady’s Thigh Kofta (Kadınbudu Köfte)
THIS DISH, a favorite of classic Turkish cuisine, can be bought at delicatessens in Turkey; however, it is never as tasty as the homemade version. Even though the name literally means “lady’s thigh,” the kofta is the size of a rabbit thigh. Its unique taste comes from sautéing half of the ground meat before mixing in the rest of the ingredients. Coriander is not used traditionally, but it makes a nice addition.
⅓ cup (35 g) medium-grain rice
2 pounds (910 g) lean beef, or a combination of lean beef and lean lamb (the combination will taste better)
¼ cup (5 g) fresh parsley leaves, chopped
⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour
Cook the rice in ½ cup (120 ml) water. Cook the onions in half of the butter over medium heat until softened. In a separate pan, sauté half of the meat in the remaining butter, until all the liquid evaporates. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the rice, onion, sautéed and raw meats, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add the coriander. Remove egg-size pieces from the meat mixture and roll them one by one between your palms into elongated balls. Let sit for 30 minutes, then roll the balls in flour and then in the egg. Heat ½ inch (12 mm) of oil in a frying pan and fry the kofta over medium heat until golden on all sides and cooked through. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot or warm.
