Armenian Kufta Food

ARMENIAN CHE KUFTA (RAW LAMB PATTIES)

Steps:

• Lamb should be put through grinder three times.
• Mix in salt and pepper to taste, before adding bulgur and onions.
• Add salt to finely chopped green pepper, finely chopped green onions and finely chopped handful of parsley.
• Squeeze vegetables with hands to draw moisture and add to lamb.
• Also add cayenne pepper, if desired.
• Knead all together adding a little water until all ingredients stick together.
• Shape into patties and garnish with chopped parsley.
• Serve at once.

ARMENIAN KUFTA

Steps:

• For the outside shell, mix 1-1/2 lbs. ground lamb, bulghur, onion, salt, pepper and parsley together with 1 cup of water. Knead until it becomes cohesive and dough like.
• Set aside and brown 1 lb lamb with large chopped onion until meat is cooked. Add parsley, salt and pepper and cool.
• In the meantime, roll outside shell mixture into balls the size of a small egg. Use a bowl of ice water to keep mixture from sticking to your hands. Shape into cups by inserting your thumb into ball and rotating in your opposite hand until you form a thin shell. Keep wetting your hands in the ice water to keep shell from cracking.
• Fill shell with cooked meat mixture, about 1 tablespoon, close shell, wetting hands with ice water, and seal opening.
• Set aside on a sheet pan, continue to roll balls. Place tray in refrigerator to chill.
• Boil 2 quarts of broth, add pasta and vegetables. Add meatballs and cook them 10 minutes or until they rise to the top.
• Sometimes served with yogurt on the side.

ARMENIAN STEAK TARTARE (CHEE KUFTA)

Steps:

• Combine vegetables and basil together and mix well.
• In a large bowl combine 2 cups of chopped vegetables and mix the bulgur, water, tomato sauce and salt.
• Mix well and let stand 10 minutes.
• Add meat and blend well.
• Knead about 5 minutes, moistening your hands with cold water at intervals.
• Taste for salt.
• Add more if necessary.
• Shape as desired and place on platter.
• We liked it squished flat with a fork and spread liberally with fresh chopped parsley and green onions as garnish.
• Eat with pita bread or crusty french bread, YUM!

MADZOON OV KUFTEH (MEATBALL YOGURT SOUP)

Steps:

• Mix together salt, beef, bulgar, onion, red pepper, black pepper, one egg. Use food processor if necessary to blend. Dip hands in cold roll into balls about a size of a quarter.
• For broth crack egg in yogurt and mix well with mint. Heat up 2 cans broth along with 2 cups water, add yogurt mix and keep stirring so soup will not curdle. Add butter and stir until melted.
• Once broth is nearly boiling add meatballs and heat for ten minutes.
• Note: If you want a richer soup, add a pea size pat of butter in the middle of each meatball. It helps if they are cut up and then frozen when rolling the meatball.

MIDDLE EASTERN BAKED KUFTA

Steps:

• What you can do is start by chopping up your parsley in a food chopper until fine.
• Do not use dried parsley.
• Then put the parsley in a large mixing bowl.
• Then cut onion up into pieces-- doesn't matter how small just so you can fit it into the chopper and combine the garlic and chop away until fine-- not pasty though.
• Put the onion garlic mixture in the bowl with the parsley and add ground meat and spices.
• Mix with hands until everything is well blended.
• Pat the meat mixture down in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and broil in oven until top is browned, this will enhance the flavor, then take out of the oven.
• Peel potatoes.
• Slice tomatoes and potatoes into quarter of an inch in size and layer-- potatoes first and then tomatoes will be top layer.
• Sprinkle with a little salt-- and bake in oven about 425°F covered with foil for approximately 45 minutes to and hour-- enjoy.