Armenian Kufta Recipes

ARMENIAN KUFTA

Steps:

• For the outside shell, mix 1-1/2 lbs. ground lamb, bulghur, onion, salt, pepper and parsley together with 1 cup of water. Knead until it becomes cohesive and dough like.
• Set aside and brown 1 lb lamb with large chopped onion until meat is cooked. Add parsley, salt and pepper and cool.
• In the meantime, roll outside shell mixture into balls the size of a small egg. Use a bowl of ice water to keep mixture from sticking to your hands. Shape into cups by inserting your thumb into ball and rotating in your opposite hand until you form a thin shell. Keep wetting your hands in the ice water to keep shell from cracking.
• Fill shell with cooked meat mixture, about 1 tablespoon, close shell, wetting hands with ice water, and seal opening.
• Set aside on a sheet pan, continue to roll balls. Place tray in refrigerator to chill.
• Boil 2 quarts of broth, add pasta and vegetables. Add meatballs and cook them 10 minutes or until they rise to the top.
• Sometimes served with yogurt on the side.

MIDDLE EASTERN BAKED KUFTA

Steps:

• What you can do is start by chopping up your parsley in a food chopper until fine.
• Do not use dried parsley.
• Then put the parsley in a large mixing bowl.
• Then cut onion up into pieces-- doesn't matter how small just so you can fit it into the chopper and combine the garlic and chop away until fine-- not pasty though.
• Put the onion garlic mixture in the bowl with the parsley and add ground meat and spices.
• Mix with hands until everything is well blended.
• Pat the meat mixture down in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan and broil in oven until top is browned, this will enhance the flavor, then take out of the oven.
• Peel potatoes.
• Slice tomatoes and potatoes into quarter of an inch in size and layer-- potatoes first and then tomatoes will be top layer.
• Sprinkle with a little salt-- and bake in oven about 425°F covered with foil for approximately 45 minutes to and hour-- enjoy.

MIDDLE EASTERN MEATBALLS (KOFTA KEBABS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Add all the ingredients except the beef into a bowl and stir well.
• Add in the beef and stir until just combined.
• Form into 1/4 cup meatballs (I use an ice cream scoop) onto your cast iron skillet or sheet pan.
• Cook for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.