Turkish Spiced Meatballs With Pomegranate Yogurt Sauce Recipes

TURKISH MEATBALLS KOFTE RECIPE

Steps:

• Using a box shredder or a food processor, shred the onion. Pass it through a strainer to remove its juices.
• Transfer onion to a large bowl. Add in the ground beef, bread crumbs, garlic, egg, cumin, baking soda, salt and pepper. If using, add in the Italian parsley into the bowl.
• Use your hands to thoroughly mix. I usually mix it for 5-7 minutes to ensure that all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Cover it with stretch film and place in the fridge for 2 hours or, if possible, let it sit overnight.
• Divide meatballs into 15 portions (like seen in the video and/or in the photo above) and roll each portion into a small ball. Each ball should be somewhere between 2 ½ or 3 tablespoons. Lightly flatten each ball in the palm of your hands. Continue with the rest of the meat.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch grill or cast iron pan until it is shimmering hot.
• Add in the meatballs and cook for 7-8 minutes, turning them several times as they cook to prevent them before burning. Use a spatula to lightly press as they cook.
• If you have a smaller pan, you might have to do this in two batches.
• Transfer cooked meatballs into a platter, cover with aluminum foil, and let it sit 5 minutes before serving.
• If you prefer to serve like I did, spread a dollop of Tahini Yogurt Sauce at the bottom of a plate and add 3 meatballs in the middle. Garnish it with pine nuts, pomegranate arils, and chopped fresh parsley.

TURKISH SPICED MEATBALLS WITH POMEGRANATE YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make Sauce:
• Put yogurt in a paper towel-lined sieve set over a bowl and keep covered and chilled 8 to 12 hours.
• Boil pomegranate juice in a small heavy saucepan until syrupy and reduced to about 2 tablespoons, about 10 minutes. Keep warm off heat, covered.
• Make Meatballs:
• Soak whole slices of bread for 30 minutes in a mixing bowl filled with water, then fold and squeeze gently to remove as much water as possible.
• Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped, then add parsley and pulse again until finely chopped. Add lamb, bread (torn into pieces), allspice, red-pepper flakes, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pulse, stopping and scraping down sides, until combined. (Do not overblend.)
• Roll level tablespoons of meat mixture into balls (about 42), arranging them on plates or on another sheet pan.
• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Line a large, rimmed sheet pan with foil.
• Heat olive oil and vegetable oil together in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until oils shimmer (put one meatball in to test; it should sizzle). Brown meatballs all over in batches of 10 to 12, turning occasionally with a spoon or shaking skillet (lower heat if oil begins to smoke), about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer, as browned, to lined sheet pan.
• Once all meatballs are browned, transfer the sheet pan to the oven and bake until meatballs are cooked through (cut one open to look, or use an instant-read thermometer; it should register 160°F), 10 to 15 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towels.
• Spoon drained yogurt into a small serving bowl and drizzle with pomegranate syrup, then swirl it in briefly with a spoon. Sprinkle some pomegranate seeds over top. Spear each meatball with a toothpick and serve yogurt alongside for dipping.

SPICED MEATBALLS WITH YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large straight-sided skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add onion, minced garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add cumin and cinnamon and cook, stirring, about 1 minute more. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a food processor; process to a paste.
• In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 1/4 cup broth; let stand 5 minutes. Add beef, onion paste, whole egg, and cilantro; mix with your hands to combine. With lightly dampened hands, form mixture into 28 balls, about 2 tablespoons each.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium-high. Working in batches (do not crowd pan), cook meatballs until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes a batch. Transfer to a plate; pour off fat from skillet. Return meatballs to pan; add 3/4 cup broth and sliced garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer just until meatballs are cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a plate with a slotted spoon.
• In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and yogurt. In another bowl, whisk together cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup broth; whisk into broth in skillet. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then strain through a sieve into yogurt mixture, stirring to combine. Return to skillet and cook over medium, stirring constantly, until just bubbling and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 1 minute; season with salt. Add meatballs to sauce and heat through. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sumac, red-pepper flakes, and cilantro.