Lady’s Thigh Meat Paddies - Kadin Budu Kofte

Lady's Thigh Paddies - Kadin Budu Kofte

This is a kind of kofte (meat paddies or meatballs) that is made with ground beef and rice. Turkish name translates as “Lady’s Thigh Meat Paddies”. Hard to tell if it was meant to be a compliment for the kofte or for a woman’s thighs. Either case, it is delicious. I have also tried it with ground turkey, that works fine as well. My mom used to make it when she had left over cooked rice.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup rice
• 1 lb ground beef (1/2lb + 1/2lb)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of cold water
• 1 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 + 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin (optional)
• 1 cup of all purpose flour
• 1  cup of vegetable oil or olive oil

Directions:

Place rice and water in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to slow, simmer until rice is cooked. Drain the rice, let it cool to room temperature. 

In a pan, sauté half of the ground beef with onions for a few minutes only until beef's color changes. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine uncooked ground beef, 1 egg, parsley, pepper and salt. Knead them all until all mixed like a meat loaf. Add the cooked ground beef/onion mixture and mix well. Add the rice to the mixture and gently mix again. The reason to put the rice last is to make sure it does not get mashed during the kneading process. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

When ready to cook, take egg size pieces of the mixture, roll it up in your hands like an egg, then flatten the piece to give it an oval shape (about ¼ in thick). Place the paddies on a plate, ready to cook.

Paddies dipped in flour

In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat.

Mix two eggs in a bowl, set aside.

Put the flour on a plate.

Take each piece of meatball, first place it in flour, making sure both sides are covered. Then dip it in the egg mixture and place it in the frying pan. Add as many meatballs as you can fit in the frying pan, do not over crowd the pan. Fry both sides until golden brown. They should be fried over medium heat. Place the cooked pieces on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 

Place paddies on a paper towel before transferring to a serving dish

Serve hot. Goes well with French Fries and yogurt.

Afiyet Olsun! Bon Appetit!