Kufta - dish of Armenian national cuisine. There are many recipes for making kufta, but the basis of the recipe is fresh meat, remains unchanged. Classic kofta recipe suggests that a piece of meat is beaten with a wooden hammer on a stone until it becomes a homogeneous mass, but now more often this dish is prepared using a meat grinder - the meat is cranked 5-6 times, or even better and faster using a kitchen processor - it grinds the meat to a puree. states in a matter of minutes. Next, the meat is flavored with cognac, milk, chopped onions, and seasonings are added, the minced meat is formed into a ball and boiled in boiling water, to which dry red wine is sometimes added. Armenian kofta is usually served on lettuce leaves, with butter and pomegranate seeds placed on the pieces.
For reference, according to Wikipedia: the word kufta comes from the Persian language کوفتن, or, kūfta means “meat balls”, or “to grind”. Kufta is considered a traditional dish of the Middle East and South Asia; early recipes suggested preparing this dish exclusively from lamb, coating the meat with egg yolk and saffron. Armenian kufta is currently mainly prepared from veal or steamed beef.
Armenian kufta recipe ingredients
Steamed beef 1 kg
Milk 0.5-1 glass
Cognac 50 gr
Onion 1 large head
Salt, pepper - to taste
For serving: lettuce, pomegranate
Step-by-step photo recipe for Armenian kyufta
1. Steamed veal is cut into pieces.
2. Finely chop the onion.
3. Grind the meat in a processor (or, as I already wrote, scroll it several times in a meat grinder). 
4.Add a raw egg to the minced meat, mix, add cognac and milk, salt, pepper and spices, mix everything well. 
5.Next, add finely chopped onion to the minced meat, knead the minced meat well, form meat balls, while wetting your hands in milk or water and lightly “beating the minced meat”, tossing the balls from hand to hand. From 1 kg of meat, I formed 5 balls. 
6. Boil the kyukhta in slightly salted water (if desired, add 100 ml of red wine to the water) until cooked. Cooking time depends on the weight of the meat balls (from 30 to 50 minutes, meat balls weighing approximately 270 grams, I cooked for 35 minutes) 
Ready Armenian kyufta cut into plastic pieces and served on lettuce leaves, with pieces of butter and pomegranate seeds placed on top. 
Today we will prepare a dish of Armenian cuisine “Ishli kyufta”. Initially, this dish was prepared only by Turkish Armenians, those who at one time migrated from Turkey to Armenia, and now not a single Armenian holiday table is complete without the amazing “ishli kyufta”.
What is an ishli kufta? These are double cutlets, with fresh minced veal and bulgur on the outside, and fried minced meat with onions and walnuts on the inside. Below you will find a step-by-step photo recipe for “Ishli kyufta” in Armenian.
Ingredients
- Minced beef - 800 g
- Bulgur - 150 g
- Onion -2 pcs.
- Egg - 1 pc.
- Walnut – 150 g
- Vegetable oil
- Flour - 3 tbsp. l.
- Greenery
- Red and black peppers
- Lemon
Recipe
Let's start preparing the first layer of cutlets. Take half the minced meat and add an egg, a little water, salt, peppers and flour. Knead. The minced meat should have the consistency of plasticine. If we add little flour and water and knead, the main thing is to achieve the desired consistency.
At this time, steam the bulgur for half an hour.
Mix the swollen cereal with vegetable oil.
Now mix the bulgur well with the sticky minced meat.
Peel the dry onion and chop finely.
Grind the walnuts in a blender.
Now we begin to prepare the second layer of kufta, that is, the filling. It is very similar to pancake filling. Fry the remaining minced meat in oil, stirring thoroughly so that the minced meat does not form lumps. Next, add onion and chopped walnuts to the minced meat. No salt!!! You can add some chopped herbs. Let the filling cool and put it in the cold so that the fats harden.
Let's prepare a bowl of warm lemon water, we will wet our hands in it while sculpting. We form ishli kyuftas. Make a glass from the first layer of minced meat and put the second layer of minced meat into it with a spoon and seal it. There should be no seams!!!
The earliest references to the kofta recipe were known from cookbooks in Arabic, dating back to the Ottoman rule from Turkish cuisine. The word "kyufta" comes from the Persian language. kūfta, or کوفتن, means "to grind", or "meat balls". The recipe has been borrowed from many national cuisines. In Ottoman books, it was proposed to prepare kofta using lamb, coating the meat with egg yolk and saffron. In Armenia, kofta is made from beef, served with butter and hot tsitsak pepper. In this recipe we will talk about Armenian kyufta:
Ingredients:
- Beef 1 kg without fat and tendons
- Onion 2 pcs
- Egg 1 piece
- Flour 2 tbsp. l. flour
- Cognac 50 gr
- Milk or water 3/4 cup (very cold)
- Red and black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Ghee or butter (for drizzling)
How to cook
Originally, the meat needs to be beaten until a homogeneous mass of weak consistency is obtained, but for modern people, it is easier to pass the meat 5-6 times through a meat grinder or grind it in a processor (preferably the latter).
Grind the meat in a processor at the highest speed until a homogeneous, smooth mass; add cold water (milk) during the grinding process. Place the minced meat in a bowl, add cognac, egg, flour and chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and knead for 20-25 minutes. You should get a doughy, viscous and slightly liquid light minced meat. (which didn’t seem to work out for me :))
Place a pot of water on the stove, add salt and bring to a boil.
Divide the minced meat into 4 parts, form each part with wet hands or using a ladle soaked in water into 4 balls and carefully place them in boiling water.
Cook for 25-30 minutes, remembering to remove the foam.
Serve the kofta hot, cut into slices, pour with melted butter.
K yufta is a meat dish (essentially giant meatballs) that is very common in the Caucasus. The recipe for kofta is quite ancient and each nation of the Middle East can boast of its own version of preparation.
Today we invite you to cook Armenian kofta with us.
Products
- Beef (pulp) – 1 kg
- Onions – 1 pc.
- Egg – 2 pcs.
- Flour – 50 g
- Cognac - 50 gr
- Salt - to taste
- Black and red pepper - to taste
- Milk – 200 ml
- Butter – 80 g (for serving)
Step by step recipe
- Let's prepare products for kofta in Armenian style. Wash the beef pulp under running cold water. Remove the husk from the onion. Milk can be replaced with water (used to soften the minced meat). In some versions of Armenian kyufta, cognac (50 g) is added.
- We use a meat grinder and grind the meat. It is very convenient to use a kitchen processor for this. If you have a manual device at hand, then you should twist the meat 3-4 times.
- Add black and red pepper to the meat and add salt.
- Pour the entire portion of milk (or, as described above, water) into a bowl with minced meat. Let's beat the eggs in there. Let's add flour. Mix until smooth. The mass turns out to be quite viscous.
- Finely chop the onion. Add to the minced meat. Let's mix.
- Divide the resulting meat mass into approximately four parts. With wet hands we form large meat balls. In a convenient saucepan, bring water to a boil. Using a large spoon, carefully lower the huge piece of meat into the boiling water. Armenian kofta should be cooked for 30 minutes.
Kufta is a common dish in the Middle East and South Asia. According to the most popular version, the Turks first started preparing it.
Afterwards, kufta became part of the national cuisines of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The dish can also be found in Balkan and southern European countries.
There are a lot of kyufta recipes. They differ depending on regional traditions.
Traditional kufta consists of balls made from minced meat and boiled in broth. It is usually made from lamb.
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Description of the dish
The first recipes for making kofta can be found in early Arabic cookbooks, where it is recommended to make it from lamb, first brushing the balls with egg yolk seasoned with saffron.
In Turkey, there are more than 290 food recipes.
In neighboring Armenia, kufta is made from beef and served with fresh butter and very hot small peppers called tsitsak.
In Bengal, there is a variation of vegetarian kofta, which is made using rice, various vegetables and fruits.
Turkish cuisine is replete with delicious dishes. If you want to cook, then these recipes are for you: , .
How to cook kofta bozbash in Turkish, you will learn by carefully reading the entire article.
To prepare, you will need a meat grinder, a large saucepan and a sieve.
Ingredients.
- brisket (lamb) - 200 g;
- fat tail -135 gr;
- lamb meat - 0.5 kg;
- onion (preferably Govan) - 170 gr;
- potatoes - 3 large pieces;
- chickpeas - 180 gr;
- rice cereal - 40 g;
- plums - 4 pieces;
- saffron - a pinch;
- salt to taste;
- black pepper to taste;
- pinch of turmeric.
Additionally:
- shallots - 4 pieces;
- wine vinegar - 50 ml;
- pinch of mint;
- a pinch of saffron leaves;
- barberry pinch.
Preparation:
Watch the video of preparing kofta bozbash in Turkish:
Various cooking options
It is no secret that kufta has many cooking options; below we will talk in detail about the most popular of them.
In this variation, the kofta balls are deep fried.
Ingredients:
- minced meat (preferably beef) - 0.5 kg;
- potatoes - 2 pieces;
- onion - 1 piece;
- parsley - a bunch;
- egg - 1 piece;
- breading - 300 gr;
- sunflower oil for deep frying;
- salt and pepper to taste.
Cooking:
- Grind the peeled potatoes on a coarse grater. Finely chop the onion and parsley.
- Add salt and pepper to the pre-beaten egg. Mix all the ingredients together with the minced meat thoroughly in a large bowl. Then remove excess liquid.
- From the prepared minced meat we form a kofta the size of a small lemon. Roll the resulting balls in breadcrumbs and deep-fry until golden brown.
- Place the prepared kofta on a paper napkin to remove excess fat. Kufta is served with vegetables and herbs.
The preparation of kofta with potatoes is shown in the video:
This dish is prepared in the oven. It is served with tomato sauce.
To prepare beef kufta you will need the following ingredients:
- beef - 250 gr;
- onion - 50 gr;
- garlic - 2-3 cloves;
- breadcrumbs - 100 gr;
- egg - 1 piece;
- vegetable oil - 30 g;
- tomato paste - 70 gr;
- red wine - 30 g;
- butter - 25 g;
- allspice - to taste;
- cinnamon - to taste;
- caraway and cumin - to taste;
- paprika - to taste;
- salt - to taste.
Preparation:
- Grind the onion, garlic and beef through a meat grinder.
- Season the minced meat with salt, peppers and cinnamon. Add egg and breadcrumbs.
- Roll into 50 gram balls.
- Bring the oven to 180 degrees. Place the balls on a greased baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Prepare the sauce:
- For the sauce, whisk together red wine and tomato paste.
- Add butter and prepared balls to the mixture.
- Place on low heat.
- After 7-8 minutes the dish is ready.
How to cook beef kufta, you will learn from the video:
A variation of chicken (turkey) kofta is not inferior in taste to the traditional dish. Below you will learn how to cook this dish.
Ingredients:
- fillet (preferably thighs and legs) - 1 kg;
- potato starch - 11 g;
- egg - 1 piece;
- onion - 160 gr;
- cold water - 260 ml;
- cognac - 30 ml;
- ground black pepper - a pinch;
- salt - to taste;
- butter for serving.
Preparation:
- Scroll the chicken meat through a meat grinder a couple of times. Place the resulting minced meat in a blender bowl, add water, salt and blend the minced meat using the knife attachment for five to seven minutes.
- Add the egg, starch and pepper to the mixture and cook for a few more minutes.
- At the end, add a glass of cognac, peeled and chopped onion. Beat the mixture again for a couple of minutes.
- Fill a saucepan with a capacity of at least 6 liters with water and place it on the fire.
We heat the water to a temperature of 39 degrees. Using a bowl, place the minced meat in small portions into the prepared water.
- The kofta will be ready in an hour. During cooking, it doubles in size and rises to the surface of the broth.
- Place the prepared kofta on a dish, cut it, and season with butter.
Another version of chicken kofta is shown in the video:
Echmiadzin
This Armenian variation of the dish is prepared with achar grain, which can be found in Armenian grocery stores.
Ingredients:
How to prepare Etchmiadzin kofta? To do this, you need to follow the following instructions.
- Pour cold water over the achar cereal and leave for an hour.
- Drain the water and pour the cereal into boiling salted water, add fresh butter, close the lid and boil again.
- Remove the lid, reduce the heat and continue to cook until cooked.
- Mix pre-fried diced onions with almost cooked pilaf. After a couple of minutes, form an arbitrary slide from the pilaf, close the lid and keep on low heat for another 5-10 minutes. For 1 glass of achar (can be replaced with spelled) you need 2.5 glasses of water.
- Add cognac or vodka to the prepared minced meat. Knead until the mixture becomes less dense. Then add the egg to the mixture and continue beating until a single mass is obtained. Form 2-3 balls from the mixture and place in cool water. Place on low heat.
- Kufta is prepared in 40-45 minutes. The kofta is served with achar and butter.
The preparation of the dish is clearly visible in the video:
We present another variation of fried kofta.
You will need the following ingredients:
- minced lamb - 400 g;
- vegetable oil (preferably olive) - 2 tablespoons;
- zira - 1 tbsp. spoon;
- hot red pepper - 0.5 teaspoon;
- dried thyme - 1 tbsp. spoon;
- lemon 1 piece;
- black pepper to taste;
- salt to taste;
- paprika - 1 teaspoon.
Preparation:
- Grind the cumin, pre-calcined in a frying pan, with coarse rock salt. Finely grate the lemon peel.
- Mix minced lamb, grated lemon zest, hot cayenne pepper (you can use regular ground chili instead), sweet paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl.
- The resulting mixture must be thoroughly kneaded and molded into two pairs of medium-sized kyuftas. Pierce the kufta with wooden chopsticks and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Then we begin to fry the kufta in a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. During this process, use chopsticks to turn the meat over to ensure even frying.
- In 10 minutes the kofta will be ready.
How to prepare lamb kofta is shown in the video:
With meatballs
You can prepare a delicious first course - kofta shurpa, which is perfect for a hearty dinner with the family.
For cooking you need products:
- minced meat (preferably beef) - 200 g;
- pre-cooked rice - 2 cups;
- broccoli - 200 gr;
- carrots - 1 piece;
- basil sprigs - 3 pieces;
- leeks to taste.
Cooking:
- mix the minced meat with chopped basil and pre-boiled rice. Spices can be added at your discretion.
- Knead the resulting mixture thoroughly.
With wet hands, form small patties.
Grate the carrots using a medium grater. Cut the white part of the leek into small rings. Chop the broccoli into small florets.
- Fry the carrots in a saucepan with vegetable oil. Add chopped onion and simmer the mixture until it reaches its characteristic golden color.
- Pour 4 cups of water into the pan. When the water boils, add the cutlets to the soup. You need to cook on low heat. After 10 minutes, the soup can be served.
If you want to cook a delicious dish, watch the video:
Izmir
This dish is prepared with potatoes and tomatoes.
Ingredients:
- potatoes - 0.5 g;
- beef - 0.4 g;
- shallots - 2 pieces;
- parsley - 0.5 bunch;
- nana - 2 tbsp. spoons;
- adjika - 1 tbsp. spoons;
- hot peppers - 2 pieces;
- tomato - 2 pieces;
- bread 0.5 pieces;
- oil for frying and greasing;
- salt to taste;
- black pepper to taste.
Cooking:
- Trim dry toast crusts. Moisten the remaining soft part with water for 3 minutes.
- Add finely chopped onion and parsley, bread crumbs, mint, cumin, and spices to the minced meat. Mix the mixture thoroughly.
- Form a kufta, place it on a baking sheet and place it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 250 degrees.
- Cook coarsely chopped potatoes in a frying pan until golden brown. Season with salt and place on a napkin.
- Fry one finely chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, then pour adjika mixed in 150 ml of water, mix and remove from heat.
- Remove the kofta from the oven. Add fried onions and potatoes, tomato slices, hot pepper to it.
- Grease the kufta with vegetable oil and place it in the oven again for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.
- Before serving, sprinkle the prepared kofta with parsley.
Watch a useful video on preparing Izmir kofta:
What to serve with?
Kufta is served in whole balls. Guests cut the meat themselves and season with pieces of fresh butter.
Kufta bozbash is great as a first course. You can serve it with lightly dried flatbreads and various herbs (parsley, leeks, cilantro, and so on).
Reference: Be sure to serve a side dish with fried varieties of kofta. Cereals (buckwheat, rice, spelled), as well as fried potatoes, spaghetti and any vegetable puree are suitable for this.
Conclusion
Now you know how to prepare Turkish kofta at home. But cooking kofta takes time. If you don't want to spend a lot of time cooking, you can buy ready-made minced meat in large supermarkets. However, home-cooked minced meat is much tastier and more aromatic.
If you decide to switch to a healthy diet, then use these recipes: from, from, from, from, from.
Choose your favorite recipe and surprise your household!
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