Izmir Style Meatballs in Tomato Sauce (İzmir Köfte)

Turkish cuisine has so many meatball dishes that you could easily fill a multi-volume cookbook with them. Among all of them, İzmir köftesi, a specialty of the Aegean city of İzmir, holds a special place in my heart. Meatballs cooked with potatoes and peppers in tomato sauce, it's one of my all-time favorite comfort foods: the kofte goes tender in the sauce, the potatoes drink it up, and everything tastes a little better than the sum of its parts. İzmir kofte is traditionally a summer dish, made when tomatoes are at their peak and served with rice and yogurt on the side, accompanied by an icy glass of rakı, obviously. But these days we need comfort more than ever, so I've been making it almost weekly--tomatoes in season or not.

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For the meatballs

• 1/2 lb ground meat
• 2 slices of stale bread, soaked in water and squeezed tight, or 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup minced or finely chopped onion
• 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg (traditionally there's always an egg in the meatballs, both to hold them together and to keep them moist when baked; I don't like the smell of egg in meatballs, so I leave it out)
• Salt

For the rest

• About 10 peppers, seeded. In Turkey, green sweet chilies are the standard for this dish. If you like heat, any pepper works: jalapeño, wax, banana, Anaheim, or poblano. I like shishito and sweet Italian peppers here.
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3–4 medium tomatoes, grated or chopped in a food processor
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)

Mix all the meatball ingredients and knead well for 5–7 minutes. Wet your hands and shape into 3–4 inch oval, finger-shaped meatballs — rounded in the middle and tapered at the ends.

Heat a pan and add 3 tbsp olive oil. Add the meatballs and cook just until they change color. You're not cooking them through, just sealing them.

Set the meatballs aside and keep the oil in the pan. (Some people fry the potatoes too, which is delicious but much greasier, so I skip it.)

Arrange the meatballs in a sun pattern in a wide oven-proof dish or cast iron pot, leaving 1/2 to 1 inch between them. If you're using a square or rectangular dish, line them up instead.

If you're using tomato paste, add it to the pan with the reserved oil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes or tomato sauce) and salt to taste. Cook until the juice has reduced, then add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.

Tuck the potatoes between the meatballs and place the peppers on top, keeping the sun shape.

Pour the tomato sauce over everything. It should barely cover the meatballs and vegetables-if it doesn't, add a little more boiling water.

Bake on the middle rack at 380°F for 40–45 minutes, enough time for the potatoes to cook through.

Serve with rice or crusty bread and yogurt.

Bon appétit!

  

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Sour Meatballs or Meatballs in Egg and Lemon Sauce (Ekşili Köfte)

 Ekşili Köfte, a very popular meatball dish cherished by kids and adults alike has differing  variations in different parts of Turkey; in some parts tomato or pepper paste is used; in some small diced vegetables; and in some eggs are completely left out. This version is from the Northwestern / Western part of Turkey.

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, grated

1/3 cup + 2 tbsp white rice

1/4 or 1/3 cup very finely chopped parsley

1/4 or 1/3 cup very finely chopped fresh dill

1 egg, white and yolk separated

1 tsp or more black pepper

salt 

3 tbsp flour

4 tbsp olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

-Put ground meat, grated onion, parsley, fresh dill, 1/3 cup rice, white of the egg, black pepper, salt in a bowl and mix really well. 

-Flour a tray.

-Make mini meatballs, quarter size, and place them on the tray.

-When all are on the tray, shake the tray back and forth or side to side to roll the meatballs to get covered in flour. This flour on them will make a nice crust and will make the "soup" part of the dish thick. 

-Grab a wide bottom-ish pot and heat. Add the olive oil and once hot place the meatballs at the bottom. 

-Cook the meatballs until they have a nice crust on one side. 

-Add half of the lemon juice, 4 cups of water, and 2 tbsp white rice, and a tad bit of salt, just to your taste.

-Simmer on low for 20 minutes. 

-Mix egg yolk with the rest of the lemon juice in a bowl. Start taking little scoops of liquid or soup from the dish and mix with egg and lemon. We are trying to warm the egg slowly so that it won't curdle when we add it to the dish. Add 3-4 scoops of liquid, one at a time and mix the sauce after each time. 

-Add the egg and lemon sauce to the dish, stir once and let simmer covered for another 15-20 minutes. 

-Serve fresh dill or parsley, or with dry mint flakes on top, and crusty nice bread on the side. 

Tips: If you have picky kids or adults, you can skip the fresh herbes in the meatballs. If you want to add veggies, add diced carrots, potatoes, celery root and peas right after you add the water. 

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Bulgur Kofte (Bulgur Köftesi)

I don't know if you have noticed that I like bulgur, different types of bulgur, and anything with bulgur. I especially like it in kofte form, such as this, this, and this. Bulgur kofte is yet another bulgur dish in kofte form. The recipe belongs to my mom and has long been a family favorite. Bulgur gives a nice, nutty flavor to what would otherwise be a regular kofte recipe. We usually enjoy it in summer, since it is lighter than all-meat version and wonderful off the grill. I recently discovered that Ayla Algar's Classical Turkish Cooking includes a similar recipe, so what follows draws from both.   

serves four

• 1 pound ground beef (80% lean) [Algar uses ground lamb]
• 1/2 cup fine bulgur
• 1 big or 2 medium onions, grated
• 1 green pepper, preferably a spicy variety, finely chopped
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 to 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/3 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup mint, finely chopped (or 1 1/2 tbsp dried mint flakes or dried basil)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper to taste

-Place the bulgur in a bowl and pour just enough hot water over it to barely cover. Let stand for 15 minutes.
-Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt, and mix well. 
-Shape pieces slightly larger than a walnut into oval patties.
-Grill until both sides are charred and crisp, or cook in a lightly oiled pan over medium on heat, turning once.

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Red Lentil Kofte / Mercimek Köftesi

This vegetarian kofte is one of the most popular appetizers of Turkish cuisine.




























1 cup red lentil
1/2 cup fine bulgur
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups of water
1 medium onion, very finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tomato paste + 1 tbsp red pepper paste (if you cannot find red pepper paste you can use 2 tbsp tomato paste)
~1 tsp salt
juice of half or 1 lemon (depends on how you like it: sour or not so sour)
1/3 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1/2 bunch green onion, finely chopped
curly leaf lettuce



























-Wash lentils and boil them on medium heat in 2 cups of water until the water is almost gone.
-Once you turn it off, add bulgur and salt. Mix once and cover to let the bulgur expand. Let it cool off.
-Heat oil in a pan and add the onion (not the green one!) and cook until soft.
-Add tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
-Add cumin and stir once you turn it off.
-Add this to the lentils which should be cool by now.
-Add lemon juice and half of finely chopped parsley and green onion (we're saving the rest of parsley and green onions to garnish) to the lentils. Mix all well.
-Take walnut size pieces and give them kofte shape in your hands. Keep a little bowl of water close by to wet your  hand frequently during this process since the kofte mixture will get stuck on your hands.
-You can either place lettuce leaves on a serving plate and put koftes on top as in the picture, or serve koftes and lettuce leaves separately, or skip lettuce leaves completely; however, they reallly go well together.

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İnegöl Meatballs (İnegöl Köftesi)

One of the renowned kofte recipes in Turkey, İnegöl kofte, was created by Mustafa Efendi, a Bulgarian immigrant to İnegöl in Bursa in the late 19th century. Just lile Tekirdağ kofte, you can find İnegöl kofte all around Turkey, however you can eat the best kofte in İnegöl.

An İnegölian friend Apo used to make delicious İnegöl kofte for us. After he moved back to Turkey, I tried to find the recipe online. Traditionally İnegöl kofte has no spice or bread crumbs, yet most of the recipes I found had either one or both. Apo was so kind to e-mail his recipe. In the last year I made multiple batches of İnegöl kofte from the following traditional and not-so-traditional recipes. We and our friends liked them all. Therefore I decided to post them all in an order that I like them. These meatballs are seriously delicious, you won't regret trying.



























İnegöl Meatball Recipe #1 (traditional)

2 lb ground meat (%20 lamb and %80 beef)
1 1/2 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp salt
1 onion, grated

-Knead groundmeat well with salt and baking soda. Cover and put in the fridge and let rest for one full day.
-Next day, 2-3 hours before cooking add grated onion and mix well. Put back in the fridge and let rest until it's time to cook.
-Take walnut-size pieces of ground meat and roll into small balls, and press slightly in between your palms, or give it a fat finger shape.
-You can either throw them on the grill, or broil them until cooked on one side and then flip them over, or cook them on a non-stick pan on both sides on medium with no oil.
-Use as many as you need. The rest can be placed on a flat surface, a plate or a tray--they should not touch each other, and then put in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen, you can take them off the plate and put in a freezer bag and back in the freezer for future use.

Apo's recipe



























İnegöl Meatball Recipe #2 (with bread crumbs)

makes ~40-45 small meatballs
2 lb ground beef (%80 lean, %20 fat)
1/2 cup stale bread ground into crumbs
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp salt
2 heaping tsp baking soda
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
2 medium onions, grated

-Put ground beef, bread crumbs, water, and salt in a bowl and knead for 10 minutes.
-Let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours, i.e. forget about it for a whole day.
-The next morning, mix baking soda and lemon juice in a small cup and pour it over ground meat mix.
-Add grated onion and mıx well.
-Cover and put back in the fridge for a couple of more hours.
-Take walnut-size pieces of ground meat and roll into small balls, and press slightly in between your palms, or give it a fat finger shape.
-You can either throw them on the grill, or broil them until cooked on one side and then flip them over, or cook them on a non-stick pan on both sides on medium with no oil.
-Use as many as you need. The rest can be placed on a flat surface, a plate or a tray--they should not touch each other, and then put in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen, you can take them off the plate and put in a freezer bag and back in the freezer for future use.

adapted from evcini's recipe



























İnegöl Meatball Recipe #3 (with spice)

makes 40-45 small meatballs

2 lb ground beef (%80 lean, %20 fat)
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
1 medium onions, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp oregano leaves
1 tsp cumin powder

-Put ground beef, milk, and salt in a bowl.
-Mix baking soda and lemon juice in a small bowl, and add it to ground mear mix.
-Knead it for 10 minutes. Cover and put in the fridge for approximately 12 hours.
-The next day or after 12 hours, add black pepper, cumin, oregano, minced garlic, and grated onion. Knead well. Let sit in the fridge for an hour or two.
-Take walnut-size pieces of ground meat and roll into small balls, and press slightly in between your palms, or give it a fat finger shape.
-You can either throw them on the grill, or broil them until cooked on one side and then flip them over, or cook them on a non-stick pan on both sides on medium with no oil.
-Use as many as you need. The rest can be placed on a flat surface, a plate or a tray--they should not touch each other, and then put in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once frozen, you can take them off the plate and put in a freezer bag and back in the freezer for future use.

adapted from Derya Ünal who gave the recipe in a comment she posted on evcini's inegöl köfte recipe.

Do not forget the most important thing in making İnegöl kofte is to let the meat rest.

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Bulgur Kofte (Çılbak Köftesi)

Bulgur Kofte is a different version of another traditionally Turkish recipe, garlicy bulgur buttons, from southeastern Turkey. Koftes are usually made with ground meat but this one requires only bulgur, which explains the name: Çılbak Köfte. "Çılbak" means "naked" and "poor," so we can translate the name for this dish as "The Poor Man's Kofte."

These koftes are easy to make and delicious. You can have them with the garlicy yogurt, as well as with different sauces from the garlicy bulgur buttons recipe.




































for 4 people
makes approximately 45 koftes

for koftes
1 cup fine bulgur
1 cup hot water
1 cup white flour
1 egg
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp red pepper paste
1 tsp salt

for the sauce
2 cups yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2-3 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 tsp paprika




























-Put bulgur in a big bowl. Add hot water, cover and let it soak for 10 minutes.
-Wet your hands with cold water and knead bulgur for 5 minutes.
-Add egg, salt, tomato and pepper red paste, and mix well with your hands.
-Start adding flour slowly and knead the bulgur dough for 10-15 minutes, until everything is well mixed.
-Take one generous table spoon of the mix and roll between your palms to form a ball, wetting your hands with cold water now and then. Then, squeeze it in one hand to form the fingerprints on an almost oval shape.
-Fill a big pot with water half way through and bring to a boil. Add bulgur koftes, let it boil again, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove koftes with a slotted spoon.
-Beat yogurt with minced garlic with a fork until smooth in a bowl.
-In a small saucepan melt heat butter or olive oil. When it is hot, add paprika and let sizzle for 10-15 seconds. paprika easily burns, so watch out.
-Serve koftes in a deep plate. First pour garlicy yogurt and then sizzling paprika on top.
Simply delicious!

The recipe is from Lezzet Dergisi January 2008 pg 40.

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Garlicy Bulgur Buttons (Sarımsaklı Köfte)

These little delicious buttons are known by a variety of names in different regions of Turkey such as sarımsaklı köfte or fellah köftesi, etc. Along with the name change come a variety of sauces. I am posting the recipe with three different sauces. Whichever sauce you pick, there are must do's when following the recipe: buttons should be small, you really need to press you finger on each one (it holds the sauce), and do not go light on garlic.




for buttons
2 cups of fine bulgur
1/4 cup semolina
1/4 cup white flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp pepper paste (if you can find)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups of water

for the tomato sauce1/4 cup olive oil
4-5 medium tomatoes, petite diced (or 2 cans of organic diced tomato)
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried mint flakesfor the yogurt sauce
2 cups of yogurt
2 cloves of garlic, mincedfor the sour sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp pepper paste
5-6 cloves of garlic
juice of 1 lemon
mint flakes
chopped parsley
black pepper

-In a bowl wet bulgur with 1 cup of warm water. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or a lid and let soak for 10 minutes.
-Add semolina, salt, cumin, black pepper, tomato and pepper paste. Start kneading until semolina and bulgur stick to each other.
-Add flour and keep kneading. Add 1 cup of water in small amounts and knead until the mixture can hold together.
-Take dime size pieces from the mix and roll it in between your palms. Press on top with your index finger. (If it cracks on the sides when you press with your finger, it means you need to knead more) Place buttons on a tray.
-In a big pot, boil approximately 2 liters of water with salt.
-Throw buttons in boiling water. Take them out with a slotted spoon when they come up to surface.

Start preparing for the sauce while cooking buttons.
-For the tomato sauce heat olive oil in a pot.
-Add garlic and mint flakes and stir until fragrant.
-Add diced tomato. Simmer on low until cooked.
-Add chopped parsley after you turn it off.
-If you like sour sauce, heat olive oil in a pan. Stir in garlic and tomato paste (and pepper paste) until cooked. Add mint flakes, black pepper, and lemon juice. Cook for another minute and it's done.
-If you prefer a yogurt sauce, mix well 2 cups of yogurt with minced garlic.
-Serve buttons with the tomato, sour, or yogurt sauce on top, or with both.

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Eggplant-Meatball Casserole (Fırında Köfteli Patlıcan)

This delicious eggplant and meatball recipe was highly inspired by another recipe I found at one of Turkey's most popular and successful food blogs: portakal ağacı. In her blog Hatice, tells that she got the recipe from an aunt (in Turkey you call all the elderly ladies "aunt X or Y" for respect regardless of your blood relation to them) and that it's called "Antep kebap" (Antep Kebabı). I liked the idea of having meatballs and eggplant--my favorite vegetable--but I didn't follow the recipe strictly. I think this is the good side of casserole dishes; they give you room for flexibility. In the end it turned out to be a light and tasty recipe.

I particularly like meatball casserole dishes, because (1) they are really easy to make and (2) in the end they are delicious. I usually make meatballs from 2 lb of ground lamb and beef. Later I freeze meatballs and use them whenever I need them. As you can imagine, when you have already made frozen meatballs, making any kind of meatball casserole dish takes almost no time.

























2-3 eggplants, peeled in stripes and cut in 1 inch rounds
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 or 1/2 banana pepper for each meatball
1 big onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
salt

for meatball (I used half of the meatballs from this batch for the recipe; the other half went straight to the freezer)1 lb ground meat
1-2 slice of stale bread, processed in a food processor or grated
1 eggs
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 big clove of garlic, minced
1 onion, grated or finely chopped
1/2 parsley, finely chopped
(the original recipe didn't ask for cumin, oregano leaves, onion, and garlic for the meatball part)

-Mix well all the ingredients for meatball in a bowl and make round , half inch thick meatballs.
-Peel the eggplants in stripes and cut them in rounds. Place the rounds in a casserole.
-Place one meatball on each eggplant round.
-Scatter chopped onion and garlic on meatballs.
-Underneath onion and garlic, you'll still see your small eggplant and meatball towers; put one slice of tomato and one or half banana pepper (or any pepper you want) on each eggplant+meatball tower.
-Salt to your taste and pour 1/4 cup of alive oil on top.
-Cover tight with aluminum foil and bake for an hour at a preheated oven at 450F. After an hour uncover, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

I served eggplant and meatball casserole with bulgur pilaf and yogurt.

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