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Kadınbudu köfte
Kadınbudu köfte: soft rice-and-mince 'lady's thigh' köfte, egg-dipped and fried
The name means 'lady's thigh', a playful Ottoman-era compliment to their plump, tender shape, and these köfte still appear in Istanbul home kitchens and old lokantas for Friday lunch. Half the meat is cooked with onion first, then mixed with raw mince, rice and herbs, so the köfte are unusually soft and moist. They are dipped in egg and fried golden, and served with a simple tomato salad and pilaf or mashed potato. Chef's tip: the rice must be fully cooked and cooled before mixing, or the köfte crack and fall apart in the pan.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil 2 ⅛ oz short-grain rice in plenty of water for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain and cool completely.
15 minStep 2: Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook 1 onion for 5 minutes. Add half the 9 oz beef mince and cook, breaking it up, for 6–8 minutes until browned and no pink remains. Cool.
13 minStep 3: Mix the cooked meat with the rest of the 9 oz beef mince, the rice, ⅔ oz flat-leaf parsley, ⅓ oz dill, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper and 1 egg, and knead for 3 minutes, until it holds together.
Step 4: With wet hands shape into 12 plump ovals and flatten slightly. Roll each in 2 ⅛ oz plain flour, then dip in 2 eggs.
Step 5: Heat ¾ cup sunflower oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat and fry in batches for 4–5 minutes a side, until deep golden and cooked through to 160°F in the centre. Common mistake: frying too hot; the egg coat burns before the raw mince inside is cooked.
18 minStep 6: Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with pilaf and a tomato salad.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 540 kcal
- Protein
- 33 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kadınbudu köfte take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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