Turkish Köfte or Kofta might essentially be viewed as a sausage-shaped meatball. It’s commonly served on a metal skewered with some charred vegetables like cucumber or peppers. Since I was serving multiple dishes at a time, I made mine extremely simple with just seasoned minced beef. Typically, lamb is used in this dish but I wasn’t sure my friends liked lamb so I chose a safer option. You could use minced chicken too. I used wooden skewers instead. But do make sure you soak them in water before using them. 

It might be boring to just eat the Turkish Köfte just like that. So, serve with some fuss-free tzatziki and mint sauces. Or with some delicious pita bread to get a truly filling meal. 

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 medium-sized Japanese Cucumbers, cut into thin ⅛ inch matchsticks
• 1 cup or 245g Greek Yogurt or Plain Natural Yogurt 
• 1-2 tbsp Mayonnaise
• ½ tsp Salt
• ½ tbsp Dill
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1. In a bowl or jar (if you’re storing), add and mix the cucumbers, greek yogurt, mayonnaise, salt, dill, and lemon juice together. 
2. Let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavors. Enjoy!

Mint Sauce

It’s a bit hard to have exact portions of ingredients for this recipe but always make sure it’s 2 parts of Mint to 1 part of cilantro. Also, I would caution you to add salt and lemon juice in parts and to taste because it depends on your tastebuds. 

Ingredients

• 60g Fresh Mint Leaves, remove the stems and wash the leaves
• 30g Fresh Cilantro, remove the stems and wash the leaves
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 medium-sized Onion, chopped
• Lemon Juice from ½ Lemon
• 1-2 tbsp Water
• 1-2 Green Chili, remove the seeds and chopped (optional)

1. In a blender, add the mint leaves, cilantro, salt, lemon juice, onion, and green chili if using. 
2. Blend the mixture until you get a smooth paste-like sauce. Add water accordingly if you want a looser sauce. When you’re done, transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy! 

Turkish Köfte

Ingredients

• 600g Minced Beef or Lamb, chilled in the refrigerator
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Mint leaves, finely minced
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• ¾ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin, crushed with pestle and mortar
• ¾ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• ½ tsp Allspice 
• ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 inch Ginger, grated
• 1 small Onion, finely chopped

1. In a large mixing bowl, add salt, black pepper, garlic, mint leaves, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, paprika, grated ginger, and onion. Stir the mixture until all ingredients are well-spread out. You don’t want concentrations of any spice. 
2. Add the minced beef or lamb into the mixture and gently massage until it’s well-combined. 
3. Start to portion out the seasoned meat and attached to wooden skewers. 
4. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, start cooking your Turkish Köfte. Alternatively, you can also bake them in the oven at 120°C.
5. Remove from the heat when the meat is cooked all the way through and you see some charring. Serve with some delicious tzatziki and mint sauce. Enjoy!