Kofte
1 serving
10 minutes
Meatballs, which in Turkey are called kofte, in Azerbaijan - kyufta, and in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries are called differently, but also similarly, are popular both as home food and as street food. There are many recipes for kofte, but the Meat Point kiosk on Nikitskaya chose only one, but such that there is a line even at night. Bakhtiyar Djumayev, the head of cutlets at Meat Point, shared his secrets
1
At Meat Point, only halal beef is used for the minced meat, and they grind it themselves—fat must be trimmed from the fillet and veins carefully removed. Then the meat is passed through a meat grinder and mixed with lamb tail fat, salt, cumin, and other spices to taste. Small patties should be formed from the minced meat and grilled for about four minutes.
- Ground beef: 100 g
- Cumin (zira): to taste
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
2
Tomatoes — whether Baku or Uzbek — should be sliced into thick rounds, white salad lettuce into half rings, and chili pepper chopped. You can skip the onion and pepper, or add more, depending on preference. Cut the lettuce leaves into wide noodles.
- Tomatoes: 1 piece
- Lettuce: 1 head
- Red chili pepper: 1 piece
- Green salad: 2 stems
3
Grill the suluguni flatbreads a little to soften the cheese. Choosing salty or unsalted is a personal choice. The lavash also needs to be slightly dried, then trimmed at the edges to create a neat rectangle.
- Suluguni cheese: 1 piece
- Armenian lavash: 1 piece
4
Fold the lavash in half and layer salad, three patties, chili pepper, tomatoes, onion, and cheese on it in turn. Then roll it up, tuck the bottom, and wrap it tightly in paper to prevent it from falling apart in your hands.
- Armenian lavash: 1 piece
- Green salad: 2 stems
- Ground beef: 100 g
- Red chili pepper: 1 piece
- Tomatoes: 1 piece
- Lettuce: 1 head
- Suluguni cheese: 1 piece
5
For greater speed, you can chop the vegetables first and then fry the patties — they should be hot so the cheese stays slightly melted.
- Ground beef: 100 g