MEATBALL WITH CUMIN

SERVINGS : 6

INGREDIENTS
750 gr minced mutton
2 small size onions, grated
3 slices dried bread, without crust
3 large size tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons cummin
1 glass oil

PROCESSING METHOD
- Soak the bread slices in water. Squeeze by hand to extract excess water.
- Crumble and add to the minced meat, together with grated onions, crushed garlic, salt, pepper and cummin. Knead well for 10 minutes.
- Take large walnut size pieces of this mixture and roll each one in the palms of your hands into round and flat shapes.
- Heat the oil in a pan. Lightly brown the meatballs (köfte) on both sides.
- Take them out and arrange in a flat pan. Spread on them peeled and chopped tomatoes or the tomato paste dissolved in a glass of water. Sprinkle with salt.
- Cover and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes.

NOTE : Instead of chopped tomatoes, you can put slices of potatoes, tomatoes and bell peppers on each meatball.

MEATBALL IN EGG SAUCE

SERVINGS : 5

INGREDIENTS
750 gr minced beef
1 large onion
2 tablespoons rice
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 bunch parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

SAUCE
2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg
1 lemon juice
1/2 glass meat stock, boiling

PROCESSING METHOD
- Wash the rice and boil for 15 minutes in 2 glasses of water. Drain.
- Add the rice to the minced meat, together with grated onion, salt and pepper. Knead for 5 minutes.
- In the palms of your hands, roll small walnut size balls and put them in a tray containing finely chopped parsley. Shake the tray so that the parsley sticks onto the meatballs.
- Boil 2 and 1/2 glasses of salted water with butter. Drop the meatballs into it. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- In a small bowl beat 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg with lemon juice. Beating vigorously, slowly add 1/2 glass of the boiling meat stock. Add it to the saucepan. Turn the heat off. Mix well.
- Serve at once.

GRILLED MEATBALL ON SKEWER

SERVINGS : 4

INGREDIENTS
500 gr  ground lamb, from shoulder or thigh
4 slices dried bread, without crust
1 large onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon cummin
1 teaspoon meatball spice
500 gr yoghurt
4 slices bread
3 tomatoes
4 hot green peppers, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bunch parsley

PROCESSING METHOD
- Soak the bread slices in a bowl of water. Take them out and squeeze by hand to extract excess water. Crumble them.
- Add grated onion and spices. Mix well. Add the meat, which should be minced twice. Knead until the mixture is smooth.
- Take walnut size pieces and roll each one in the palms of your hands into a ball, then press them into a flat and oval shape.
- Cook peeled tomatoes, cut into small pieces and 1 tablespoon of butter. Keep warm.
- Toast bread, cut into small slices and distribute on the plates. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and pour over breads. Add hot tomato sauce and yoghurt.
- Skewer meatball and grill on coal fire.
- Remove meatball from skewer and place on the dish.
- Serve with sliced hot green pepper and parsley.

FRIED MEATBALL FINGER

SERVINGS : 6

INGREDIENTS
750 gr minced mutton or beef, minced twice
2 thick slices dry bread, without crust
1 large size onion
1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 whole egg
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cummin
1 teaspoon köfte spice
1 glass oil

PROCESSING METHOD
- Soak the bread in water. Squeeze by hand to extract excess water. Crumble.
- Add all the ingredients except the oil. Knead it well for 10 minutes.
- Take egg size pieces of this mixture and roll each one in the palms of your hands to shape them into fingers.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fry the meat fingers on medium heat.
- Serve them hot, together with fried potatoes.

NOTE : They may also be served cool the next day.

WOMAN’S THIGH MEATBALL

SERVINGS : 6

INGREDIENTS
750 gr minced meat
2 large size onions, chopped
1/2 cup rice
1 and 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 glass oil

PROCESSING METHOD
- Heat the butter in a saucepan. Lightly brown chopped onions.
- Add rice, some salt and 1 glass of water. Cover and cook on medium heat until the rice is soft and the water is absorbed. Let cool.
- Put half of the meat in a saucepan and saute it at high temperature until the juice evaporates.
- Add it to the other half and mix well.
- Add 2 eggs, salt, pepper and the rice with onions. Knead for 5 minutes.
- Take egg size pieces of this mixture and roll each one in the palms of your hands to give flat and oval shapes.
- Heat the oil. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl. Dip each meatball (köfte) in beaten eggs and fry on medium heat, until they are golden brown on both sides.
- Serve at once, with steamed potatoes.

BOKHARA PILAF

SERVING : 6

INGREDIENTS
2 glasses rice
250 gr lean lamb meat, cubed
3 tablespoons butter
50 gr almonds, blanched
2 medium size carrots, small cubes
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

PROCESSING METHOD
- Cover the rice with salted hot water and let stand until it gets cool.
- Wash well with cool water and drain well.
- Cook the meat in 4-5 glasses of water with some salt, until the stock should be reduced to 3 glasses.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Lightly brown the blanched almonds.
- Add the carrots, scraped and cut up in a small cubes. Add the rice and saute them for about 10 minutes.
- Add the stock. Cover and let simmer until the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand for another 15 minutes.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon before serving.

RICE PILAF GARNISHED WITH VERMICELLI

SERVING : 6

INGREDIENTS
2 glasses rice
1/2 glass vermicelli
3 glasses white beef stock or water
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

PROCESSING METHOD
- Wash the rice. Cover it with warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Let cool.
- Wash 3-4 times and drain well.
- Heat the margarine in a saucepan. Add vermicelli and brown for few minutes. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add meat stock or water, salt and sugar.
- When it starts boiling, add the rice and mix well. Cover and cook first on medium heat, later on low heat until the water is absorbed.
- Put a cloth underneath the lid. Let it simmer on very low heat for 15-20 minutes (taking care that it doesn’t stick to the bottom).
- Let stand for 15 minutes or more. Mix well with a wooden spoon and serve.
- Serve at once.

RICE PILAF GARNISHED WITH TOMATOES

SERVING : 6

INGREDIENTS
2 glasses rice
2 big size tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 glasses white beef stock or water
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

PROCESSING METHOD
- Wash the rice. Cover it with warm water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Let cool.
- Wash 3-4 times and drain well.
- Heat the margarine in a saucepan. Add peeled and chopped tomatoes (or the tomato paste dissolved in 1/2 glass of water). Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add meat stock or water, salt and sugar.
- When it starts boiling, add the rice and mix well. Cover and cook first on medium heat, later on low heat until the water is absorbed.
- Put a cloth underneath the lid. Let it simmer on very low heat for 15-20 minutes (taking care that it doesn’t stick to the bottom).
- Let stand for 15 minutes or more. Mix well with a wooden spoon and serve.
- Serve at once.

THREADS KADAYIF WITH CREAM

INGREDIENTS
1 kg threads kadayif
250 gr butter

SYRUP
1 and 1/4 kg sugar
750 gr water
2 sopspoons lemon juice

CREAM
3 eggs, beaten
150 gr rice flour
1 grated lemon rind
1 liter milk

PROCESSING METHOD
- Melt half the butter in a round (35 cm in diameter), buttered cake pan. Cover the bottom of the pan (allowing some of the kadayif to spread over the sides of the pan).
- Place 3 beaten eggs, rice flour and the grated lemon rind in a saucepan. Slowly stir in the cold milk. Bring to a boil on a low heat, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and pour while still hot over the shredded dough. Cover with the remaining kadayif , folding the excess of the lower layer over the top.
- Place in a warm oven until the top becomes golden brown.
- While the kadayif is baking, prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar, water and 2 soupspoons of lemon juice.
- As soon as you remove the kadayif from the oven, pour the boiling syrup over it.
- Let cool.
- Slide it onto a serving dish.

FLOUR HELVA WITH ALMOND

INGREDIENTS
200 gr butter
250 gr flour
1 liter milk
400 gr sugar
2 tablespoons almond, sliced

PROCESSING METHOD
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour. Stir with a spoon over a low heat until the flour becomes golden brown.
- During this time, make a syrup by boiling the sugar in the milk.
- Pour it into the browned flour while it is still boiling hot. Cook the mixture for about 15 minutes on a very low heat.
- Remove from the stove.
- When the helva has cooled off somewhat, it can be shaped by hand into balls the size of a walnut.
- Sliced almonds may be browned with the flour and added to the helva.