Almond Truffles (Kakaolu Badem Ezmeleri)

Makes 30 trufffles

200 g crumbled almonds * 1 tsp coffee * 4 tbsp orange juice * 1 orange peel * 200 g powdered sugar * 1 tbsp honey

To garnish:

1 coffee cup powder cacao * 1 coffee cup powdered sugar

Mix the coffee, the orange juice, the orange peel, the powdered sugar, the almonds and the honey. Knead very well. Separate small portions of dough and shape small balls with your hands. Place the truffles in a serving plate and sprinkle them with powder cacao and then with powdered sugar.

Halva Balls with Feta Cheese and Pistachio (Antepfıstıklı Peynir Helvası)

Makes 10 servings

1 kg feta cheese * 2 cups water * 2 coffee cups cornstarch * 2 cups sugar * 1 cup crumbled pistachios

Put the feta cheese in cold water to get soft. Then, filter very well and crumble with a fork. Dissolve the cornstarch in a cup of water. Bring to boil the remaining water and the sugar. Add the cornstarch with the water and let it cook over low fire for 10 minutes. After that time, add the cheese and go on coking for 15 minutes more. While the halva is still warm, take small portions in the amount of a walnut and make balls with your hands. Sprinkle the halva balls with crumbled pistachios. Serve warm or cold.

Baked Köfte with Potatoes and Tomato (İzmir Köftesi)

Makes 4 servings

500 g ground meat * 1 onion * 1 egg * 100 g old bread * 2 potatoes * 3 tomatoes * 4-5 green chili peppers * salt * black pepper

Mix well the minced onion with the ground meat, the crumbled bread, the egg, the salt and the black pepper. Take small amounts of the mixture and give them a cylindrical shape with your hands.
Take the shell to the potatoes and cut them into slices, in the style of apple slices. Absorb the water with a paper towel. Pour some oil in a frying pan and fry the potatoes. Also fry the köfte in some olive oil. Place the potatoes in an oven tray. Cut the chili peppers in 2-3 slices and put them also in the tray. Place the köfte on the potatoes. Make tomato pure and add to it 1-2 tbsp of water. Cover the köfte and the potatoes with the tomato pure. Bake on a 170º preheated oven for 20-25 minutes.

Learn more about köfte here.

Raw Köfte (Çiğ Köfte)

100 g ground veal * 200 g thin bulgur * 5 garlic cloves * 30 g onion * 150 g pepper paste * 50 g tomato paste * 1 tsp dry mint * 1 tsp cumin * 1 tsp black pepper * 1 tsp allspice * 3 tsp red pepper * 100 g green onion * 100 g parsley

Mix the bulgur with the pepper and tomato pastes and with the spices. Add the meat and mix very well. Mince the onion, the garlic and the green onion very thin and add to the mixture. Knead very well with the hands for 3-5 minutes. Give an oval shape with the hands to small amounts of the mixture. Serve on lettuce leaves and garnish with lemon slices.

This dish is very much appreciated with Raki, the most popular alcoholic drink in Turkey.

Çiğ köfte seller in Ankara.

The çiğ köfte is shaped at the moment and placed on a very thin bread sheet (lavaş), which is rolled around the çiğ köfte. This is a very common Turkish fast-food.

Çiğ köfte ready to be sold. It can be bought like this also in the supermarkets.

Learn more about çiğ köfte here

Zucchini Patties with Yogurt Sauce (Kabak Mücveri)

For the patties:

3 zucchinis * 1 onion * 1 cup flour * 3 eggs * 1 tbsp minced fresh oreganos * 1 tbsp minced fresh basil * salt * black pepper

For the yogurt sauce:

1 tbsp minced fresh parsley * 2 cups yogurt * 1 cucumber * 1 garlic clove * 2 tsp lemon juice * 1 tbsp minced fresh mint

Prepare the patties. Scrape the zucchinis and the onion. Place in a bowl the flour, the beaten eggs, the onion, the oreganos, the basil, the salt and the black pepper and mix very well. Pour oil in a frying pan and make it hot. For each patty, pour in the frying pan 3 tbsp of the mixture and fry both sides. Place on a paper towel. Prepare the yogurt sauce. Scrape the cucumber, mince the garlic and the mint. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well.

This sauce is to be served with the mücver and not to be poured on them. It’s very delicious...

Veal Köfte over Bread (Islama Köfte)

Makes 4 servings

For the köfte:

500 g ground veal * 4-5 old bread slices * 1 onion * 1 egg yolk * salt * black pepper * allspice * 2 tbsp olive oil

For the sauce and garnish:

4 old bread slices * 4 garlic cloves * 40 g butter * 2 cup water * 4-5 lettuce leaves * 3 tbsp minced parsley * salt

Prepare the köfte. Place the meat in a deep bowl. Crumble the bread and mince the onion. Add the bread, the onion, the egg yolk, the salt, the black pepper and the allspice to the ground meat and mix very well. Separate portions of the mixture with the same size, give them a cylindrical shape and then make them flat with the fingers. Prepare the garnish. Melt the butter and then add the crumbled garlic cloves, the salt and the water and bring it to boil. Meantime, fry the köfte with olive oil. Pour the sauce on the bread and sprinkle with the minced parsley. Place the köfte on the bread. Serve with the lettuce leaves.

Learn more about köfte here.