Middle Eastern Star: İçli Köfte- Kibbeh- Crunchy Bulgur Outside and Heaven Inside | Celebration Dish

İçli köfte is known with different names all over the world such as kibbeh, stuffed meatball and ishli kofte. Basically, it is a crispy bulgur dough outside filled with delicious, minced meat with pistachio. It is one of the best foods and every bite is heavenly! You can make it traditional way, or I have a special and easy technique for you if you are a first time maker.

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İçli Köfte Recipe

For the bulgur dough,
200 g double ground beef, fatless
2 cups fine bulgur,
3 tablespoons semolina
1 tablespoons pepper paste, biber salçası
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt
15-20 small ice cubes, 150 g
½ to 1 cup all-purpose flour

Stuffing,
1/2 kg double ground beef, should be fatless
3 onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoons butter
2 handfuls walnuts or pistachio, chopped (raw and shelled)
1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped
Salt & black pepper

For frying,
Sunflower oil, any frying oil works great.

• For the stuffing, I always have my ground beef out of rib. But if you prefer, you can use 50% lamb – 50% veal, too. The important thing is that you should always be by the pot, waiting and braising it thoroughly.
• Start braising the minced meat with a medium-high heat in its own fat; when it is being cooked, it will release its water. When it starts to soak its water, add the onion and a pinch of salt.
• Lower the heat and add in the butter. When the onions almost disappeared and the meat smell turns into that of a kebap – meaning, in 20-25 minutes – it means that your minced meat is now braised. Now, you can add the black pepper and salt.
• This is a long process, stir occasionally and add a couple of water and scrape all the flavour on the pan.
• Add in the walnuts or pistachios and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Turn the heat off and add the parsley.
• For the bulghur dough, mix the semolina with 150 ml water cover the top and let it soak the water for 5 minutes.
• Using a stand mixer or by hand, mix the bulgur with the semolina and knead with flat beater. Add in the ground beef, pepper paste, cumin, black pepper and salt.
• Add in the ice cubes while kneading. Knead for 15 minutes until mixture becomes a paste. This will take longer- around 30 minutes- if kneading with hand.
• To understand the correct texture, take a piece of dough in your hand and press to flat. If the sides cracks, it means it needs more kneading and ice.
• Finally, add in ½ to 1 cup flour- amount will vary depending on the type of bulgur-. It is ready when it becomes a dough that does not stick to the hand and rolls out easily.
• Take 75 g lumps from the dough and shape into balls.
• Keep a bowl of water beside you to wet your hands.
• Wet your hands and make a hole in the middle of the dough with your index finger. Then, with light movements, turn the dough in your palm and make the hole bigger with your index and middle fingers.
• Fill in with beef mixture -around 2 tablespoons-.
• Wet your hand and close the open edge by slowly squeezing it between our index and thumb. The shape should be a little bigger than lemon. You can perfect the shape by wetting your hands. Prepare the remaining dough in the same way.
• For an easier way, you can roll out the dough between two cyling film. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Place the stuffing spaced apart on one part and lay the other part on top with cyling film. Cut with a cup or cookie cutter. Seal the edges with wet hands.
• Heat the oil and deep fry until golden brown or you can air fry them on 200 C (390 F) for 14 minutes. Oil the each köfte before cooking.
• Another way of cooking is baking, oil each köfte before cooking and bake them in the oven on 200 C (390 F) for 20 minutes, flip halfway.
• Squeeze lemon while eating and best serve with spoon salad and ayran.

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