Kofte Ekmek — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Grilled Turkish lamb meatball sandwiches served in a half loaf of crusty bread with fresh tomatoes, onions, and roasted peppers. This iconic street food can be found at every Turkish football match and market.

Ingredients

500g ground lamb
1 small onion, grated
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
4 quarter loaves crusty Turkish bread
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
4 roasted green peppers

Instructions

1 Combine the ground lamb with grated onion, parsley, cumin, sumac, Aleppo pepper, salt, and black pepper, then knead the mixture for five minutes until it becomes sticky and cohesive.
2 Shape the seasoned meat into small flat oval patties about one centimeter thick, pressing them firmly so they hold together on the grill without crumbling.
3 Grill the kofte over high heat or on a ridged grill pan for three to four minutes per side until they develop a charred crust outside while remaining juicy inside.
4 Slice the Turkish bread loaves in half lengthwise and briefly toast them on the grill cut-side down to warm them through and add a light smoky char.
5 Stuff each bread half with several grilled kofte, sliced tomatoes, red onion rings, and a roasted green pepper, then serve immediately as a hearty handheld meal.

Did You Know?

The city of Inegol near Bursa is considered the kofte capital of Turkey, and its famous Inegol kofte recipe has been protected by geographical indication since 2014.