When you think of Turkish cuisine, most people probably think of kebab. Especially if you live in Berlin. And if you played the game of family duel, where it was always “we asked 100 people…”, Köfte would probably be mentioned quite often. And so we decided to give you a recipe after the lentil soup and Börek. Köfte, which is actually nothing other than the Turkish answer to the German meatball or as they say here in Berlin: Bulette.
But then kofta are different. After all, unlike the German equivalent, they are made from ground lamb and beef and therefore really have a different taste. You can hardly ever get minced lamb in German supermarkets. We really recommend going to a Turkish market. In Berlin it feels like there is one on every corner and the choice of meat is really different for religious reasons. By the way, the combination of lamb and beef is also available here, as it is simply a classic of Western cuisine. And a visit to the Turkish supermarket is a real change from everyday life. You often buy the same groceries. The selection of sheep’s cheese and olives is hard to beat. And because of the special spices that are often needed in Turkish, but also Arabic and Levantine cuisine, it is a good idea to shop here.
By the way, the kofte are perfect with a little Turkish smoked paprika powder, a dip and fresh flatbread. A simple dinner is ready. Of course, tabbouleh or couscous or any other type of salad also goes well with this. We prefer to eat the kofta warm, but you can certainly prepare them for a lunch break the next day.
Köfte with sheep’s cheese yogurt dip
- 500 G Mixed minced lamb and beef
- 3 EL olive oil
- 1 TL Cumin, ground
- 1 TL Pul biber (smoked paprika powder)
- 1 small onion
- ½ Federal Parsley
- 2 EL Frying oil
- Salt, pepper
for the dip
- 200 G yogurt
- 50 G Sheep cheese
- Salt, pepper
- ¼ lemon (juice)
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Place spices and olive oil in a bowl and mix well.
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Wash the parsley, shake dry and chop finely. Peel the onion and cut it into fine cubes. We think the smaller the better.
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Add the parsley and onion to the bowl with the minced meat and mix everything well with your hands. Place the kofta mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour.
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Meanwhile, prepare the dip. Simply mix all the ingredients in a smaller bowl and season with salt and pepper. Attention: The sheep’s cheese contains a lot of salt. Therefore salt carefully.
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Form small kofta or put the mixture on skewers. It’s best to flatten the kofta a little and not form balls.
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Heat the frying oil in a large pan and fry the kofta in batches at a medium to high temperature. If you like it lower in fat, you can also prepare it in the oven.
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When the kofta are cooked and nicely browned on the outside, serve with dip and fresh flatbread.
