Cig Kofte Urfa - Raw Meatballs

I couldn't think of another name for this post so I just translated the meaning.  This is a very famous dish from Sanli Urfa.  This is a Kofte(meatball)recipe using red meat that you form into the kofte's but you don't cook them after, so the meat is left raw.  There are other variations that I will post substituting the meat with walnuts.

The photos come to me courtesy of Ahmet Usta from Urfa Cig Koftesi Sevenler.  Ahmet Usta has a facebook page that I came across with some great photos.  I contacted him and asked if he would mind me using some of his photos he most graciously responded saying I could.

This is an easy recipe to make with the process being straightforward.  If you are Turkish there is alot of tradition around making it and I have only seen men making this dish.  There is also quite alot of kneading involved and you probably need about 30 good minutes to do the job properly or if you are like me doing it in a food processor is quite acceptable as long as your Turkish guests are none the wiser.

I'll show you the photos first followed by the recipe.  This recipe can have some variations with the meat with these photos showing the use of egg.  The cooked egg is kneaded in with the bulgur, meat mixture then formed.

Our guy kneading away

Showing consistency

Adding in the cooked egg

Finished plate with pickles

Tray with kofte, pickles, hot chillies, mint sprigs and some radish slices

The story for this food goes that Abraham had caught a deer that he gave his wife to make food for him.  Nothing could be found to make a fire and this is the dish she came up with.  I am sure thousands of Turks would love to thank her for this very popular dish.

2 cups fine bulgur

250gr fat free dark coloured meat, diced

6 tbs hot chilli powder

1 tbs salt

pinch of cinamon

pinch of pepper

half bunch spring onions, diced

1 onion, diced

1 cup finely chopped parsley

1 tbs pepper(tomato)paste

Put everything into your food processor until well mixed.  Slowly add in small amounts (tbs) water and keep processing until you get a consistency like the photo. If you want to add in the egg cook a couple of eggs in the fry pan and mix in.  If you want to do it the hard way add everything together and knead for 30 - 45 minutes with Turkish music on in the background to keep you focused.

You can serve like the photo which is on a plate or make into individual portions (meatball size).  This is nice with Ayran.

Kömbe, Börek

This is Kömbe a börek that is made in a baking tray.  It is made up of thin yufka(phyllo)sheets with filling and layered.  Usually anything from 9 to 12 layers.  The more sheets it has the more the neighbours are impressed.
  
It has a base of 2 sheets, some women put 3.  Then a layer of filling then another 2 sheets.  Between the pastry sheets you need to sprinkle or brush on some oil.  This makes the pastry sheets puff up. Now if you make the sheets yourself as my other sister inlaw is doing and they are nice and thin like hers you have to use 2.  If your not that great at making the sheets and they are a bit thick use one on the base.  The pastry sheets and filling are all layered until you have your desired amount of layers.  The mixture you can see is onion and potato with a bit of sweet pepper paste(tomato paste can be substituted).  It wasnt cut that well but thank goodness that dosnt affect the taste.  It is baked quickly in a hot oven until nice and brown.  

Easy meal usually eaten with pickles and ayran.

If you are not a Turkish housewife and dont want to make the yufka sheets yourself you can easily make this at home using phyllo pastry sheets instead.  


1pkt Phyllo pastry
4 par boiled potatoes
2 onions
salt
2 tbsp sweet pepper paste/tomato paste
oil


Grate the potato and thinly slice the onions, mix well.  Add in the salt and pepper paste and mix well again.


Depending on the size of your tray and how many layers you want to make depends on how many sheets you will use.  Phyllo is fairly thing so I would be putting 3 sheets down the bottom of your pan.  Oil your pan well.


Start by layering the pastry and potato filling - pastry (3) - potato - pastry 2 - potato etc until you have the desired amount of layers.  An important thing to remember is that less is more when it comes to the filling.  You have alot of layers so you dont want to overfill.  The thinner the final product is the nicer it is especially if you are generous with the oil the whole thing almost becomes fried.  If you dont want a fried end product use less oil and the börek is nice and light.


Cook in a very hot oven until the top is a nice brown.  Some people put egg on the top, some use oil and some use a mixture of oil and yogurt(this makes the börek nice and soft).  A good tip is after it comes out of the oven and is piping hot sprinkle on some water then place a tea towel on top.  This makes it softer.  If you want fried and crispy skip the water.

Turks gave the world Yoghurt!

The Turks gave the world Yoghurt!

Yoghurt is derived from the Turkish word yogurt.  The Turks before living in Turkey were nomadic people living in Central Asia.  The tribes of the Ottomans and Selcuks were the forerunner of the modern Turks. As they rode slowly across the plains of Central Asia they needed dairy products that would last the trip.  They were the first to produce yogurt from sour milk.

Man selling Yogurt

Yogurt is a big part of the Turkish diet.  It can be anything from a plain bowl of yogurt with the evening meal to a refreshing drink called Ayran.  As you all know by now I used to live in İstanbul, Silivri in fact.  Silivri proudly presents a Yogurt Festival every year.  Silivri Yogurt is famous throughout İstanbul as it is one of the nicest, plus it is made only with sheep milk.  


I have posted a few yogurt dishes and will post more in the future as it really is a versitile food and can be used in a variety of ways.  


Meze yogurt recipes
Yogurt soup recipe


One of the main dishes that is made with yogurt is Cacık it seems to be eaten all over Turkey and comes in 2 forms.  One is thinner and eaten more like a soup that is eaten in the eastern areas and the other, thicker one featuring in İstanbul cuisine.  I will also give you the recipe for Ayran, this drink is drank everywhere but probably mainly as a Street food, served alongside Döner.




Cacık Istanbul Style
500gr of plain yogurt
4 medium cucumbers
1tbs dried mint
2 cloves garlic, or more if desired
water


Place the yogurt in a bowl and whisk well.  Put aside and grate the peeled cucumbers.(I don't peel but most people do)Add the grated cucumber in with the yogurt and stir well.  Mince the garlic and add to the yogurt mix along with the dried mint and stir well.  This depends on you, if your yogurt wasn't too thick to start with water will not be necessary.  If you used a very thick yogurt like Greek style you might want to add a very small amount of water.  You want this to be spoonable but not runny.  The recipe calls for a small amount of olive oil (2 tbs) to be added, I don't but feel free to do so yourselves.


Cacık Eastern Style
500gr yogurt
4 medium cucumbers
1tbs dried mint
2 cloves garlic, or more if desired
2 cups of water


Cut the ends off the cucumbers and finely dice them. Put aside.  Put the yogurt into a bowl and whisk well.  Add in the diced cucumbers, minced garlic and dried mint.  Stir well.  Add in the water and stir well.  


Both of these recipes are served in little bowls on the side.  The water in the second version can be increased slightly if desired, as I have been to homes where unexpected visitors have come and more water is added into the cacık to spread it around.  The amount of garlic is really up to personal taste but 2 cloves is a good starting point.  Also some people add a pinch of salt to their cacık.


Cacık is served as a side dish along with salads and pilavs.


Ayran
500gr plain yogurt
2 cups of water
pinch of salt


In a jug add everything together and using a stick blender, blend for a few seconds.  Serve cold.  


I really like Ayran, especially in summer when its too hot to eat anything except watermelon.

Old yogurt factory in Silivri

I forgot to say that the Silivri Yogurt Festival usually begins at the start of the Summer school holidays, there is a great outdoor, beachfront market that is open until late with live music.  They have several large name singers come to perform for a week and at this time there is the usual Oil Wrestling competitions you can attend.