Kadinbudu Kofte; Turkish Lady’s Thigh Meatballs

Kadinbudu kofte; Turkish lady’s thigh meatballs

Kadinbudu kofte, or as in the literal translation Lady’s thigh meatballs, is one of the favorite forms of kofte with my children and quite a special treat. This tender, juicy kofte has cooked rice in it rather than stale bread and has a delicious coating of beaten eggs and flour. The cooked rice adds a nice texture and a delicious, moist flavor, combined with cumin, red pepper flakes and onions.

There are theories that this saucy name Kadinbudu kofte, Lady’s thigh meatballs, was given by the Sultan’s chefs at the Ottoman Palace kitchens and that kadinbudu kofte being a favorite of the Sultans; one wonders about the inspirations from the Harem.

Drain the cooked kadinbudu koftes on kitchen paper towel.

A few tips on kadinbudu kofte; you can use leftover cooked rice for this juicy kadinbudu kofte. You can use ground (minced) beef, lamb or mixture. I tend to make my kadinbudu koftes quite chunky; smaller ones may also be a wonderful appetizer or mezze. Having a bowl of water aside and wetting your hands does help shape the meatballs. I like to shallow fry them rather than deep fry, they still get a nice coating and lighter. You can cook kadinbudu kofte ahead of time and give a gentle reheat in the oven (at 180 C /350 F for 15 minutes), just before serving.

Kadinbudu kofte is a delicious, comforting meal with mashed potatoes with spring onions by the side. Seasonal vegetables cooked in olive oil, Cacik dip of cucumbers and yoghurt as well as a refreshing Coban Salata, Shepherd’s Salad with tomatoes, cucumber, onions in olive oil and lemon juice complement kadinbudu kofte well. Kadinbudu kofte is also delicious as a cold picnic lunch.

Afiyet Olsun,

Ozlem

5.0 from 4 reviews

Kadinbudu Kofte; Turkish Lady’s Thigh Meatballs

 

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Kadinbudu kofte, or as in the literal translation Lady’s thigh meatballs, is one of the favorite forms of kofte with my children and quite a special treat. This tender, juicy kofte has cooked rice in it rather than stale bread and has a delicious coating of beaten eggs and flour. The cooked rice adds a nice texture and a delicious, moist flavor, combined with cumin, red pepper flakes and onions.

Author: Ozlem Warren

Recipe type: Turkish meatballs with rice, spices and egg coating

Cuisine: Turkish cuisine

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 500 gr/ 1 ¼ lb. ground beef, or lamb or mixture
• 100 gr/about ½ cup long grain rice, cooked
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large egg yolk (for the kadinbudu kofte mixture)
• 15 ml / 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 10 ml/ 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 5 ml/ 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 large egg and the remaining egg white, beaten (for dipping)
• 60ml/ 4 tbsp. plain (all-purpose flour) for dipping
• Small bowl of cold water aside for shaping the meatballs
• Light olive oil or canola oil for shallow frying
• For mash potatoes with spring onions:
• 4 medium potatoes, deskinned and cooked
• 2 spring (green) onions, finely chopped
• 45 ml/ 3 tbsp. whole milk
• 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 15 ml/ 1 tbsp. butter
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the onions. Saute for 3 minutes over medium heat, they will start to soften.
2. Stir in the half of the ground (minced) meat and cook on medium to high heat for about 8 minutes, until all the moisture is absorbed, turn the heat off.
3. Add the cooked rice and the chopped parsley to the pan and mix with the cooked onions and ground meat. Season with salt, cumin, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper (I like to season at this stage before adding the raw meat, as you can check the seasoning). Set aside to cool.
4. Stir in the remaining raw meat and egg yolk to the mixture. Using your hands, knead well into a paste. Cover and leave the mixture in the fridge for about 15- 20 minutes to settle.
5. Spread the flour on a flat plate. Have small bowl of cold water aside to help shape the koftes. Beat 1 large egg and the remaining egg white in a small bowl.
6. Wet your hands and take large egg sized portions of the meat mixture. Shape and flatten them into an oval ball shape. Repeat until all the mixture is finished; you should be able to have 11-12 koftes.
7. Dip the koftes in the flour to have a light, all round coating.
8. Heat 4 – 5 tbsp. light olive oil or canola oil in a frying pan.
9. Then dip the meatballs into the beaten egg and shallow fry in hot oil for about 3 minutes each side. They will be crisp and golden in color.
10. Drain the cooked kadinbudu koftes on kitchen paper towel. If serving a little later, take out the paper towel and keep the kadinbudu kofte warm on a baking tray in the preheated oven (180 C/350 F) for 5- 10 minutes.
11. For the mash potatoes with spring onions, mash the cooked potatoes with milk, 1 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp. butter, over medium heat, until smooth.
12. Stir in the chopped spring onions and season with salt and ground black pepper. Combine well.
13. Serve kadinbudu kofte hot with mashed potatoes with spring onions and vegetables aside.

Notes

You can also use leftover cooked rice for this juicy kadinbudu kofte. You can use ground (minced) beef, lamb or mixture. I tend to make my kadinbudu koftes quite chunky; smaller ones may also be a wonderful appetizer or mezze. Having a bowl of water aside and wetting your hands does help shape the meatballs. I like to shallow fry them rather than deep fry, they still get a nice coating and lighter. You can cook kadinbudu kofte ahead of time and give a gentle reheat in the oven (at 180 C /350 F for 15 minutes), just before serving.

3.2.1310