Ishli Kofte / Içli Köfte (Stuffed Kofte)

Name: Ishli Kofte / Içli Köfte (Stuffed Kofte)
Prep time: 2 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 45 min
Yield: 33 koftes
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 pounds ground beef; 2 onion; salt; black pepper; paprika; 1 cup parsley; 3 cups bulgur; 3 cups water; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon black pepper; 2 pounds top round beef; 1 egg; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 almond; 3 quarts water; 3 tablespoons kosher salt; 3 tablespoons lemon juice; lemon

User Reviews

5

24 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
2 hrs
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings
33 koftes
Calories
151 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Turkish, Lebanese, Armenian

Ishli Kofte / Içli Köfte (Stuffed Kofte)

Megan Mendez

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Ishli Kofte is a traditional stuffed kofte made from a fine bulgur and ground beef shell encasing a spiced ground beef and onion filling called gheyma. The filling is richly seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley, while the outer bulgur mixture includes similar spices and finely ground beef, egg, and flour for binding. The kofte are typically boiled and served with lemon wedges. This recipe reflects family traditions for seasoning and preparation.

Description

Ishli Kofte / Içli Köfte combines a bulgur-based outer shell mixed with finely ground, almost pasty beef, an egg, flour, and spices like paprika, salt, and pepper. The filling, known as gheyma, consists of butter-sautéed ground beef with onions and seasoning including salt, pepper, paprika, and fresh parsley. The filling is cooked and cooled before stuffing.

The method involves soaking bulgur before mixing with seasonings and ground beef, then shaping into shells around a spoonful of filling and sealing them. The kofte can be boiled or deep-fried, though this family recipe favors boiling. Cooking results in tender exterior with savory, moist filling inside.

These kofte are typically served with wedges of lemon to cut through the richness. The recipe yields about 33 kofte, sufficient for multiple servings. The dish holds well frozen and reheated gently in salted lemon water. Attention to seasoning separately for both bulgur and meat layers ensures depth of flavor.

Using kosher salt is recommended to achieve proper salty balance, and the recipe advises using one whole egg even when halving quantity due to binding effect. The filling can be made in advance, refrigerated, or frozen for convenience.

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Ingredients

Servings

Gheyma Filling:

2 tablespoons butter unsalted
2 pounds ground beef
2 onion finely chopped, large
salt Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper Kosher salt and freshly ground
paprika
1 cup parsley flat-leaf, chopped

Kofte:

3 cups bulgur cracked wheat, grade #1, fine
3 cups water
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds top round beef trimmed of all fat and ground 3 to 4 times until fine like a paste, very fresh
1 egg large
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 almond optional, or hazelnut, whole

Cooking & Serving:

3 quarts water
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
lemon for serving, wedges

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Instructions

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Gheyma Filling:

Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When melted add the ground beef, stirring and breaking up into small pieces. When the beef has started to brown but is not completely cooked yet, add the onions and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Continue to cook until the beef is well-browned and cooked through. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Stir in the parsley and remove from the heat. Cool completely before using. The gheyma can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed. It can also be frozen.

Kofte:

Fill a small bowl with some water to use to wet your hands as needed during the mixing and shaping process. In a large mixing bowl, soak the bulgur with water for about 15 minutes until absorbed but still wet. Season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix until combined.
Add the meat to the top of the bulgur mixture. Season with 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon paprika, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Mix together with your hands until thoroughly combined, wetting your hands as needed to keep the meat from sticking to your fingers. Taste the mixture for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Add the egg and mix it into the meat until smooth (again wet your hands if needed). Then sprinkle the flour over the top, and do the same.

Assembling & Cooking:

Scoop ¼ cup of the kofte mixture into the palm of your hand (your left hand if you are right-handed). Wet your hands occasionally throughout the process to keep the meat from sticking. Shape the mixture into a ball, then use a finger (an index finger or thumb) to press into the center of the ball (use the fingers on your right hand if you are right-handed). While cupping the kofte with your other hand, carefully spin the kofte and keep pressing with your finger to expand the indentation. Keep doing this, carefully working the meat to yield an even thickness all around. Get it as thin as you can without tearing or losing structure. It should look like a wide meat cup.
Pack the inside of the kofte cup with about 2 heaping tablespoons of gheyma (the capacity will depend on how thin you got the walls of the kofte). Again, keep wetting your hands as needed. Carefully turn the kofte in your hand, using your other hand to seal the ball closed as you turn. You want to keep the exterior as even and thin as possible. Smooth out the ball either into an oval or round shape and set it on a sheet while you continue to shape the other koftes. While you work, occasionally wet the beef/bulgur mixture in the mixing bowl, and mix it again to ensure it doesn't get dry. If desired, for one of the koftes include an almond or hazelnut in the middle of the filling before sealing up the kofte. Whoever gets the kofte with the nut inside is the lucky one! (Only do this if you are sure all diners are not allergic to nuts!). Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 hours if you're not cooking them immediately.
Add 3 quarts of water, 3 tablespoons of kosher salt, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to a large pot and bring to a boil. In batches, add koftes. Boil for about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium to maintain a gentle boil/simmer. Use a slotted spoon to remove koftes to a strainer, and let rest for minute to finish draining. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

Season the bulgur and meat mixtures separately to enhance overall flavor depth.
Use kosher salt for proper seasoning; reduce amounts if substituting with table salt due to its saltier nature.
Prepare the gheyma filling ahead of time; it can be refrigerated or frozen before stuffing.
Although frying is common elsewhere, this family recipe calls for boiling the kofte.
If halving the recipe, still use one whole egg to maintain binding in the kofte dough.
The full recipe yields about 33 kofte; planning to make the full amount is recommended due to good freeze and reheat suitability.
Freeze cooked kofte wrapped in bags; reheat by simmering in salted lemon water for 4-5 minutes after thawing overnight in the fridge.

Nutrition Information

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Serving 1kofte Calories 151kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 6g (9%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Cholesterol 43mg (14%) Sodium 344mg (14%) Potassium 85mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%)