Meatballs filled with spices and nuts [Icli Kofte]
Ingredients: 670 cal (6 servings)
路 500 gr. fine bulgur (bulgur is boiled and pounded wheat, and available at Turkish groceries)
路 250 gr. Fatty ground meat
路 250 gr. minced mutton (not fatty)
路 1/5 tablespoon red pepper
路 1/5 tablespoon cumin
路 1 bunch parsley
路 2 tablespoons margarine
路 2 onions
路 500 gr. pine nuts
路 50 gr. currants
路 100 gr. walnuts (pounded)
路 Salt
路 Black pepper
Melt the margarine in a saucepan, add the pine nuts and saut茅 till light golden. Add and saut茅 the diced onions gently as well. Put the minced meat and currants into a saucepan and continue saut茅ing till golden brown. Remove from heat and add the chopped parsley, salt, black pepper, pounded walnuts and blend. Allow standing for a while. In the meantime, put bulgur on a large tray, add the red pepper, cumin, salt and 1 glass of cold water and knead for half an hour to blend well. Sprinkle water while kneading if the bulgur becomes sticky. When the bulgur becomes a light paste, add the twice-minced mutton and continue kneading for another 15 minutes.
When the mixture starts to feel like a paste, take small pieces of it and form egg-like balls. Then, by turning the index finger rapidly inside the bulgur balls, make fine holes in them. Fill the holes with saut茅, which was set aside and squeeze the cover, the holes. 30 minutes before serving, put balls in saucepan containing 6-7 glasses of boiling water and some salt, and allow boiling for 15-20 minutes. Strain balls with perforated spoon, and place on serving dish.
P.S.: Although many restaurants and stores prefer to offer fried meatballs, the traditional cooking method is boiling.
Leave a comment