Chef Flowers Turkish Cypriot Fried Meatballs Kibrisli Kofte Food

TURKISH MEATBALLS (KOFTA)

Steps:

• Make the bread crumbs by breaking up 2 slices of stale but not dried out whole wheat bread into the bowl of a food processor.
• Whizz until finely crumbed.
• Add the ground lamb and the egg, and process until blended.
• Add the spices, garlic and parsley.
• Process the meat well to achieve a fine texture.
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I use a melonballer) or finger shaped patties using dampened hands.
• You may cook them at once, or refrigerate the mixture for several hours.
• (If your meat is very fresh, you can divide it in half and wrap part well in plastic for the next day's meal.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and fry the balls or patties until cooked through and evenly browned.
• The meatballs should be stirred several times, the patties turned once.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
• Serve the meatballs hot or at room temperature as an appetizer.
• Lovely with a yogurt or tahini sauce, on a bed of rice or in a pita.

CHEF FLOWER'S TURKISH CYPRIOT FRIED MEATBALLS - KIBRISLI KOFTE /

Steps:

• Peel and finely grate potatoes, place them in a bowl and sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt, set aside.
• In a separate large bowl, place ground/minced chicken or beef, onion, parsley, egg, cinnamon, mint, salt and black pepper.
• Potatoes have excess liquids and with this recipe you need to remove all the excess liquids. In a large strainer, kneed all liquids out of the grated potatoes with only leaving the potatoes flesh.
• Then add the potato with the rest of the ingredients and mix them together. If the mixture is a little sticky you may need to add more potatoes.
• With your hand mould the kofte into a small long patty about 5cm x 2cm (2 inch x 1/2 inch) then place them on a tray, repeat this until all the mixture is finish. When placing the kofte's on a tray do not allow them to touch each other as they may stick together.
• Heat oil in a frying pan or deep fryer add kofte one by one in the pan without touching each other. Flip them over once they are brown and then let the other side brown. Remove onto serving platter, then repeat this step until all kofte's are finished, then serve.
• Could be served as finger food, entree or a main dish with Turkish Cacik (yoghurt sauce) and garden salad.

TURKISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Cook the bulgur by covering it with a cup of boiling water and letting it soak in a covered bowl for about 10 minutes.
• Uncover and let cool for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the rest of the ingredients except the parsley in a mixing bowl.
• Add in the cooled bulgur and use your hands to thoroughly mix everything together.
• Roll them with your hands into balls around the same size as a golf ball and flatten them a little.
• Now you can either bake them in a hot oven for around 10 minutes or fry them in hot oil until they are browned all over.
• Serve with parsley sprinkled on top.

CHEF FLOWER'S TURKISH CYPRIOT TARO CASSEROLE - KIBRISLI KOLOKAS

Steps:

• Add 1/3 of the olive oil in a sallow pot, heat, add chicken and brown, remove chicken in a medium size heat resistant bowl and set aside.
• Add 1/3 of the olive oil in the same pot, heat, add taro and slightly brown, remove taro in a different medium size heat resistant bowl and set aside.
• Add 1/3 of the olive oil in the same pot, heat, and add onion until lightly brown, then return the chicken to the pot and mix.
• Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes & chicken stock. Reduce heat and to boil.
• Add lemon and taro, mix gently.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Simmer for 30 minutes but stir occasionally.
• NOTE: You may need to top up the casserole with chicken stock during the 30 minutes, the sauce will become dry if you don't and potentially burn the recipe. Sauce needs to be thick and lots of it.
• You can either add coriander/cilantro into the recipe or use it as garnish.
• Serve with crusty bread & garden salad or a plain Turkish pilaf.

KOFTE - TURKISH MEATBALLS

Steps:

• In a bowl add all the ingredients and lightly combine mixture. Set aside in the fridge for the flavors to meld at least 2 to 4 hours.
• Form the mixture into balls then roll between your palms into sausage shapes.
• Add a little olive oil on a cookie sheet covered with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until Kofte is cooked through.
• Serve with pita bread and a salad.