Stuffed Kofte

(Icli Kofte)

Filling:
300 g lean ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, crumbled
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp all spice
Salt
Pepper

Kofte shell:
400 gr beef steak (no fat, no veins), cut in medium sized chunks
1 1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 cup bulgur, fine grain
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp red pepper paste
Salt

For the filling: Saute the ground beef with the onion until the meat is light brown and crumbly. Then drain and add the rest of the ingredients, stir. Put aside.

For the Kofte shell: Put the beef and red pepper in the food processor and turn it into paste. After that check the paste with your fingers, if there are any stringy veins, remove them.

Place the bulgur in a large bowl and add a little bit of water to get it wet, but not sloppy. Add the red pepper paste, onion and salt, knead them all. Slowly add the beef paste little by little and knead well. During the kneading, wet your hands once in a while and continue kneading. Do this for 10 minutes and make sure everything's mixed well.

Take a walnut sized piece from it, make a ball and place it on your palm. Use your other hand's index finger to make a hole at the center (picture). Make the outside as thin as possible. Put 2 tsp of filling in it* (picture). Then wet your hand and slowly close the top. And rotate it in your palm to make the surface smooth (picture).

Place the Kofte on a plate and make sure they don't touch each other. If you don't want to fry all of them, put them in the freezer, and after freezing, put them in ziploc bags. When you do want to fry the frozen Kofte, let them sit for 5 minutes at room temperature before frying.

Heat the sunflower oil in the frying pan, then fry all sides equally. Serve with crushed red pepper, dry mint, lemon wedges or sumac.

Makes about 22 Koftes.

* Take care to stuff the Kofte as quickly as possible. It would be good if you can get help - maybe someone can stuff them and the other person can close them up. Otherwise the Kofte might crumble since the bulgur expands over time after getting wet.


Tray Kofte

This is a faster alternative to Icli Kofte:) The ingredients and the process are the same, until you start to make the Kofte.

After you prepare the Kofte shell ingredients, divide it in half. Spread one half in a pyrex dish evenly without leaving holes. Then place the filling ingredients on top evenly. Place some saran wrap on the counter as large as the pyrex dish and spread out the other half of the Kofte shell ingredients on it. Then place it the pyrex upside down (so that the top of it is flat). Cut diagonally or in squares with a knife. Cover the top with extra virgin olive oil.

Prehat the oven to 350 F and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Serve it as an appetizer with crushed red pepper, dry mint, lemon wedges or sumac.

Meal Ideas:
- Gavurdagi Salad and Almond Pudding.