Name: Meatballs in Egg and Lemon Sauce (Ekşili köfte)
Yield: Serves 4-6
Cuisine: Turkish
Ingredients: 1½ pints/900 ml water; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 carrots, peeled and diced; bunch of fresh dill and parsley, chopped; 1 onion, grated; 1 lb/450 g minced lamb; 2 egg yolks; 2 potatoes, peeled and diced; 1-2 tablespoons plain flour for rolling; juice of 2 lemons; 1 tablespoon rice, washed and drained; 1 teaspoon salt

Preparation info

Serves
4-6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Classic Turkish Cooking

By Ghillie Basan

Published 1995

About

These ‘sour meatballs’ are also known as terbiyeli (‘well behaved’) köfte. The dish dates back to a period of experimentation with sauces in the Palace cooking daring the Ottoman Empire. It is usually served with a plain pilav.

Ingredients

For the köfte

1 lb/450 g minced lamb
1 onion, grated

Method

Knead the köfte ingredients together and pound to a paste. Take small portions of the mixture and shape them into small balls. Roll them in the flour and put aside.
Put the carrots in a pan and add the water. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drop the köfte into the water with the carrots, cover the pan and bring the liquid to the boil again