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Pideli köfte
Pideli köfte: Bursa's grilled köfte on pide with tomato sauce, sizzling butter and yoghurt
TurkishBursa, the city that gave the world İskender, has its own everyday answer for those who don't want doner: pideli köfte, served in workers' lokantas around the Ulu Cami. Small grilled köfte are laid over cubes of soft pide, drenched in a thin tomato sauce, then finished at the table with browned butter poured over so it hisses, with thick yoghurt on the side. It is rich, messy and very satisfying. Chef's tip: warm the pide in the oven before adding the sauce, so it soaks up the juices but keeps some chew.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the köfte
For the sauce and base
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Knead 1 ⅛ lb beef mince with 1 onion, 1 ⅜ oz fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper for 3 minutes, until it binds. Shape into 20 small fingers and chill for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 2: Warm 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, fry 2 tbsp tomato paste for 1 minute, add 1 ¼ cups tomato passata and ¾ cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Season lightly.
11 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and warm the 1 Turkish pide bread cubes on a tray for 5 minutes, until just crisp at the edges.
5 minStep 4: Cook the köfte and 4 long green peppers on a very hot griddle for 6–8 minutes, turning, until the köfte are browned and cooked through to 160°F and the peppers are blistered.
8 minStep 5: Divide the pide among warm plates, spoon over most of the hot sauce, then add the köfte and peppers and the rest of the sauce.
Step 6: Heat 2 ⅞ oz butter until it foams and smells nutty, then pour it sizzling over each plate. Common mistake: pouring butter that is only melted; it needs to be browned and very hot to sizzle. Serve with 14 oz thick plain yoghurt on the side.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 860 kcal
- Protein
- 42 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 48 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pideli köfte take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 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 onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of fresh breadcrumbs?
- Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.
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