Köfte (Koftas)
Ingredients
- 1 kg. (2lb 2 oz.) meat, minced
- (⅔ beef, ⅓ lamb is the ideal
- mix but you can use just beef)
- 1 small onion, cut into chunks
- (or whizzed in small chopper to
- ensure it is really fine)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
- Fresh parsley, good handful, chopped
- 12 bread sticks (Grissini), approx.
- 75 gr. (3 oz.) whizzed until fine
- crumbs *
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp. dried mint
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, 2 tsp.
- 1 tsp. tomato purée
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tbsp. water
- 1 or 2 tbsp. olive oil
- * Breadcrumbs can be used instead of the bread sticks – replace with 2 slices of day old bread, whizzed in processor.
Method
This is easiest, made in a food processor. The onion can first be finely chopped in a small chopper so that it is really fine. The breadsticks can be whizzed in the same chopper.
Now start by turning the food processor on and adding the onions. Keeping the machine running, add the garlic and parsley, discarding most of the stalks. Whiz in the finely ground bread sticks (Grissini).
Stop the food processor and take off lid. Sprinkle in all the seasoning and dried herbs. Add the tomato purée, a little of the meat and whiz for 2-3 seconds. Put the remainder of the meat in handfuls around the bowl and add the egg yolks, water and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Give a good whiz, stopping and starting as necessary until the meat is evenly mixed in with the other ingredients and forming a ball.
Take out, place in a bowl and knead until smooth. Take it in both hands and bang it into the bowl 3 or 4 times, this helps it to come nicely together. The mixture should be softly firm and slightly oily. A little more olive oil can be added if you are using just beef and it is not fatty.
Keeping your hands slightly moist, by dipping in a little cold water, break off pieces the size of a small egg and form into oval patty shapes. Fry, grill or use as in the recipes.
These freeze extremely well uncooked. Put them individually onto a baking sheet, place in freezer and when almost frozen, pack into freezer bags. This way they don’t stick to one another and you can take out the amount you need at any one time.
To Fry the köfte: I am adding this note because there is a way to fry these köfte so that they are flavoursome and not dry.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan (which has a lid). When the oil reaches a medium heat, put in the köfte and brown reasonably quickly on each side. Now turn down the heat to low and put on the lid. You will notice that the juices run out of the köfte a little. Let them sweat like this and every so often turn them over. As soon as the juices have been absorbed and they begin to sizzle, they should be cooked and nicely browned.