Turkish Köfte
This recipe is Turkish köfte made with finely ground lamb, sodium bicarbonate, lemon juice, water, breadcrumbs, salt, spices, and drained onion. The köfte are shaped and fried in a hot pan without excessive turning. A sauce of sweet pepper paste, tomatoes, dried pepper, and olive oil is prepared alongside, and it is served with peppers and tomatoes roasted in the oven at high heat using the top heat only.
A Turkish-style seasoned meat patty or meatball dish.
Similar to grilled meatballs or small beef patties.
Shape the mixture evenly so the pieces cook at the same rate.
Ingredients
- half a kilo (400 grams lean meat and 100 grams fat) Finely ground lamb
- 5 grams (half a teaspoon) Sodium bicarbonate
- a squeeze of lemon juice Squeeze of lemon juice
- half a cup (100 ml) Water
- half a cup (75 grams) Fine kaak breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- half a teaspoon Black pepper
- half a teaspoon Cumin
- half a teaspoon Sweet paprika
- 1 and a half Small onions
- 1 and a half tablespoons Sweet pepper paste
- 5 tablespoons Peeled, finely chopped tomatoes
- half a teaspoon Dried pepper
- a pinch Black pepper
- 4 tablespoons Olive oil
- a pinch Salt
- 3 peppers Peppers
- 3 tomatoes Tomatoes
- a little Olive oil
- mentioned during shaping Cold water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the sodium bicarbonate with the squeeze of lemon juice and half a cup of water until it reacts and dissolves.
- In the bowl, add half a kilo of finely ground lamb to the bicarbonate mixture, then knead the meat well until it absorbs the liquids.
- In the bowl, add half a cup of fine kaak breadcrumbs, then knead the mixture well until the breadcrumbs absorb the liquids and firm up the meat.
- In the bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt, half a teaspoon black pepper, half a teaspoon cumin, and half a teaspoon sweet paprika, then knead the meat well with the spices.
- In the bowl, cover the meat mixture and let it rest in the refrigerator for a full day, or place it in the freezer for half an hour so the meat firms up during quick preparation.
- In a food processor or using a grater, finely chop 1 and a half small onions.
- In a sieve set over a bowl, drain the chopped onion well of its liquid.
- In the bowl, add the drained onion to the meat mixture and knead well.
- On a plate moistened with water, shape the meat mixture into traditionally shaped köfte patties.
- In a hot frying pan, place the köfte patties, then leave them without moving them until they develop a crust on the bottom.
- In the pan, turn the köfte when their color changes from the bottom upward, then leave them without moving them until they develop a crust on the other side.
- In the pan, lower the heat after turning the köfte so they cook through gently.
- In a bowl, mix 1 and a half tablespoons sweet pepper paste with 5 tablespoons peeled, finely chopped tomatoes, half a teaspoon dried pepper, a pinch of black pepper, 4 tablespoons olive oil, and a pinch of salt until the sauce is combined.
- In an oven tray, arrange 3 peppers and 3 tomatoes with a little olive oil.
- In the oven, roast the peppers and tomatoes using the top heat only at the highest temperature for 10 minutes to a quarter of an hour, until browned.
- In the pan or on a serving plate, place the cooked köfte with the roasted peppers and tomatoes and the sweet pepper paste sauce.