Another Turkish Cooking class

Another cooking class today - this was (again) delicious! I was unsure of what to think about "boiled meatballs", but they were terrific. I'll post pictures of it all soon.

More Turkish Recipes from the Atlas Foundation (3/27/09)

Icli Kofte (Boiled Meatballs coated w/ a paste made of cracked wheat)

For the shell mixture:
2 C bulgur (finely ground)
2 C flour
2 t salt

For the stuffing:
½ lb lean ground beef
1 onion chopped fine
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
½ C finely chopped parsley
1-2 T Veg oil
1 t salt
¼ t red pepper
½ t black ground pepper

To prepare the stuffing:
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the ground beef & cook until the beef is no longer pink. Add the onions & garlic & saute’ until onions are transparent. Add the salt, red pepper, black pepper & chopped parsley & mix well. Remove from heat & set aside. You can prepare this ahead of time.

To prepare the shell:
Soak the bulgur in warm water in a large bowl & cover. Let it sit for 1 hour. Have a small bowl of water handy – you will need to dip your hands in water while kneading and for forming the shells. Keep kneading for 15-20 minutes or longer until all ingredients are mixed well and shell mixture is soft enough to give a shape.
1. Take an egg sized piece & put it in your left palm. Make sure your hand is dipped in water before starting to shape the shells.
2. Wet your right index finger & stick it into the egg sized piece of dough & make a hole.
3. Make a half circular movement clockwise and counter clockwise w/ your index finger into the shell while it is still on your left palm to create a thing shell (as thin as possible).
4. Fill the shell w/ stuffing and gently pinch closed.
5. The final shell should look smooth & intact. Make sure to wet your hands so that you can smooth the shell from the outside after you close it.

While you are working w/ the shells, keep the remaining mixture covered w/ a damp cloth. As the mixture tends to dry out, make sure you roll each ball in your hands (dipped in water) before shaping the shells.
6. Boil the shells in water instead of frying them. The boiled shells are then served topped w/ a red sauce.
** Sauce is made by sautéing crushed garlic in vegetable oil and adding red pepper paste to the mixture and some simple spices (salt, pepper, cumin).

You can dip the stuffed shells in this mixture (we had it drizzled over them)and enjoy w/ a Mediterranean salad, plain yogurt or Cacik (recipe to follow)



Cacik (Jijiki, Jajouke) – Chopped Cucumber in Garlic-Flavored Yogurt

1 clove of garlic, minced
1 C cucumber (diced or shredded)
1 ½ C plain yogurt
1 C water
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Dill (chopped fine) * or finely chopped fresh mint

Place the garlic, yogurt & water in a medium sized bowl. Mix w/ a wooden spoon until it is blended very well. Add cucumber and mix again. With a ladle pour into small bowls and then add 1 T of olive oil on top of each. Garnish w/ fresh dill.

Cacik goes very well as a side dish w/ white beans, rice or chickpeas.

Personal note: We actually mixed everything together in the bowl and used no olive oil. Then served like a chilled soup. Delicious!
I would also (on occasion) omit the water for a thicker consistency as a dip or topping for meats, rice, beans, etc.


Revani

Make a simple syrup by boiling 2 ½ C water and add 2 C sugar, remove from heat and cool, then chill completely. You will pour this over the cooked cake.

1 C sugar
4 eggs
*mix well together – then add:
½ C milk
½ C veg oil
1 C flour
1 T baking powder
1 ½ - 2 C shredded coconut

Mix everything together well and bake @ 375-400 for ~ 30 min.