Kadinbudu Kofte is just another Turkish dish with a funny name. It could be translated into English as Lady Thigh Meatballs. How could a chef possibly name a dish after lady thigh? I really don’t have any idea! I made some research, asked elderlies to learn the story behind this name, but couldn’t find anything. I can just say that the shape of Kadinbudu Kofte looks like typical plump Turkish women’s thighs of the past. Pleasantly plump women used to be considered beautiful and attractive by Turkish men in the past. This has changed today, just like everything; being plump is no longer popular and Turkish women are trying to look as slim as models these days. Anyway, this is my humble interpretation that the name of kadinbudu kofte was given by a chef who wanted to make his meatballs sound more tempting.
There are several meatball recipes in Turkish cuisine, and the most common one is this Classic Meatballs. Kadinbudu kofte has a significant place among all other meatballs with its unique recipe since it contains cooked rice and its cooking method is different from others. It’s first coated with flour then with beaten egg and fried, resulting in a golden color.
Kadinbudu kofte has a golden and a bit crunchy crust and it is tender inside. Rice inside gives a very nice texture and its flavor is so compatible with ground beef. It is generally served with french fries and Ayran is the best drink to have with the combination of these two!
It is served either cold or warm, so it is the only meatball in our cuisine which can be served cold. It is also considered as a kind of mezze to pair with Turkish raki, and you can find it at delicatessen sections of markets. I personally prefer having it warm first and then make cold sandwiches from leftovers for a later meal. These meatballs are scrumptious in both ways!
Since they are still so good when cold, these meatballs make a perfect picnic food too! You can prepare sandwiches with kadinbudu kofte and enjoy it at a park along a river! That would be a real treat!
- Meatballs:
- 500g ground beef
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp rice
- ½ bunch of parsley, chopped
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- Coating:
- 3 eggs
- 5 tbsp flour
- Frying:
- 1 cup sunflower oil to fry
- Wash rice and drain. Boil it in a little water until it’s slightly tender.
- Heat olive oil and saute chopped onions in it.
- Add in ¾ of ground beef and set the raw aside.
- Stir fry ground beef and onions for 5-7 minutes.
- Take it from stove when ground beef absorbs its juice.
- Combine boiled rice, cooked ground beef, raw ground beef, chopped parsley, salt and spices and egg yolk in a large bowl.
- Make oval patties as big as your palm.
- Put flour in a bowl.
- Beat 3 eggs in another bowl.
- Heat sunflower oil.
- First coat meatballs with flour and then with beaten egg.
- Fry them in oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
- Serve warm or cold with french fries.
My mother used to make these and the name always made me laugh, after she explained what it meant
These look soo delicious! Much better than the ones I usually see at the small markets.
I love the clicks..