Kofta

Encyclopedia : K : KO : KOF : Kofta

Kofta, köfte, kafta, or kafteh are various spellings and pronounciations of Middle Eastern and South Asian meatballs.

In their simplest form, they consist of balls of minced or ground meat--usually beef or lamb-- mixed with spices and/or onions. The meat is often mixed with other ingredients such as rice, burghul or vegetables to form a smooth paste. Koftas are sometimes made with fish or vegetables rather than meat, especially in India. They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked or marinaded, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce. Variations occur in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Central Europe, Asia and India. A common comparison is "spicy hamburger meat."

The word kofta appears to be derived from the Persian "koffteh", which means 'pounded meat'Margaret Shaida, and appears in some of the earliest Turkish cooking books. These early recipes generally concern seasoned lamb rolled into orange-sized balls, and glazed with egg yolk and sometimes saffron. This method was taken to the west and is referred to as gilding, or endoring. Many regional variations exist, perhaps the largest being the Iranian koofteh Tabrizi, with an average diameter of 20cm (8").

In Arab countries, kofta is usually shaped into sausage-like cylinders, without casing.

In Turkey, the kofta is called köfte. It's a very popular food item. According to a recent research done by a private food company, there were 291 different kinds of köfte in the country.[Turkish Newspaper Article]

In Greece, they are called keftedes (singular keftes).

In Romania, the koftas are called chiftele (singular chiftea).

Koftas in Asian cuisine are normally cooked in a spicy curry and sometimes with whole pre-boiled eggs. Sometimes the eggs are encased in a layer of the spicy kofta meat resembling an Indian Scotch Egg. These tasty kofta dishes are very popular in Asian families and are available widely from many Indian restaurants.

See also

• Rissole
• Meatballs

References