The spice list for kuru köfte is not long and should not be; the point is the taste of the meat itself. Two things give the tenderness: stale bread soaked in water and squeezed out, and an hour of rest in the fridge. Both look skippable, and skipping either leaves the meatballs tough.
Ingredients
For the mixture
For cooking
To serve alongside
Method
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Prepare the onion
Grate the onion and squeeze it thoroughly dry. Wet onion loosens the mixture and the meatballs break up in the pan.
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Knead
Knead all the ingredients for at least 10 minutes. The mixture should turn tacky and hold as one piece.
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Rest
Cover and chill for 1 hour. This step both settles the flavour and keeps the meatballs together.
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Shape
Wet your hands, roll walnut-sized balls and flatten them slightly in your palm.
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Cook
Put a thin film of oil in the pan and heat it. Cook the meatballs for 4 minutes a side, until a crust forms.
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Do not turn often
Turn once. Every turn interrupts the crust forming.
Tips
- Do not use lean mince; twenty per cent fat is what saves the meatballs from being dry.
- Do not skip the resting. The difference between a mixture rested for an hour and one cooked straight away shows in the first bite.
- In a crowded pan the meatballs steam instead of browning. Cook them in two batches.
- They freeze raw: freeze them on a tray, bag them, and cook from frozen.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.