Meatballs with Bulgur Shell
This recipe does require some effort, but very authentic and tasty and well worth the effort.
Servings 25 Balls
Calories 300kcal
Ingredients
Bulgur Shell
- 400 grams fine bulgur
- 100 grams semolina
- 100 grams flour
- 500 millilitres water boiling
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cummin
Meat stuffing
- 250 grams ground beef medium fat
- 250 grams onions
- 100 grams walnuts coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon dry mint
- 1 tablespoon red pepper paste
Dipping sauce
- 1 tomato
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pepper paste
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon dry mint
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon thyme
To fry
- 300 millilitres olive oil
To boil
- 400 millilitres water boiling
- 1 teaspoon lemon's juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Meat stuffing
- Start with preparing the meat filling. Place the meat into the pot and spread it in the bottom. Without adding anything at all cook with lid on top over medium heat. The meat will first leave and then absorb back its own water. Just when the water is finished proceed to the next step.
- Chop the onions to tiny pieces. You can grate or use a food processor. Add to the meat together with 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Cook until the onions are translucent. Add all the spices in the stuffing group. Mix until combined and remove from heat.
- Chop by hand or use a food processor to chop the walnuts. Add the walnuts to the meat, mix well. Set aside to cool.
Bulgur Shell
- In a large bowl mix the semolina and the bulgur. Add 500 millilitres of boiling water. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes. Add the flour, an egg, the pepper paste and all the other spices. Knead for about 10 minutes. If necessary add more water to ease the kneading.
- When the mixture turns into a sticky dough that does not stick on your hands it is ready. Taste adjust spices and knead again if necessary.
Shaping the Bulgur Shells
- Keep a bowl of clean water handy. You will need the water to wet your hands while preparing the balls and mend cracks if any.
- Make small lemon-sized balls out of the bulgur dough.
- Take a bulgur ball in your palm and make a hole in it with your thumb or use a tool such as clean cucumber or even a carrot or maybe the back of a spatula.
- While making the hole turn the ball in your palm gently to make sure that the walls of the ball are about the same thickness of 2 millimetres.
- Put enough meat stuffing to fill the hole and gently cover the bulgur shell over it. If you see cracks in the ball wet your hand and rub to cover the cracks.
Frying
- To fry; add plenty of vegetable oil in a deep pan and fry until all sides are golden brown.
- Make sure the oil is at high temperature so that the bulgur shell does not soak up too much of the oil.
- Once golden brown on all sides take out on to a paper towel to get rid of excess oil.
or to Boil
- To boil; add plenty of water to a pot with salt and 1 teaspoon of lemon's juice.
- Add the meatballs only after the water comes to full boil.
- Add the meatballs into the water gently and one by one.
- Cooking will take about 10 minutes.
- Soon the meatballs will start floating on top of the water. This is a sign that they are ready. Remove from the water. it shows that they are ready.
To garnish
- Melt the butter in a pan.
- Add the tomato and pepper paste and stir.
- Grate the tomato and add to the tomato paste and stir. Add the garlic and stir. Add the spices and mix.
- When the Bulgur Shelled Meatballs are ready after boiling or frying add the meatballs into this sauce and make sure they are well coated with the sauce. Serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
You can substitute pepper paste with tomato paste.
Once cooked or before cooking you can freeze these icli kofte.
You can keep in the fridge once cooked for up to 3 days.
You can leave out the egg and replace it with 150 grams (1 medium) boiled and grated potato. With this the crust will become vegan. You can make a vegan filling with spinach and lentils and/or mushrooms.