The meat is often mixed with other ingredients such as rice, bulgur, vegetables, or eggs to form a smooth paste. Koftas are sometimes made with fish or vegetables rather than red meat, especially in India. They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked or marinated, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce. Variations occur in North Africa, the Mediterranean, Balkans and South Asia. In Pakistan, koftas are made of beef and chicken. According to a 2005 study done by a private food company, there were 291 different kinds of kofta in Turkey. [1] In Arab countries, kufta is usually shaped into cigar-shaped cylinders. In Kolkata (Calcutta), kofta is often made from paneer. Early recipes (included in some of the earliest known Arabic cookbooks) generally concern seasoned lamb rolled into orange-sized balls, and glazed with egg yolk and sometimes saffron. This method was taken to the West and is referred to as gilding, or endoring. Many regional variations exist, notable among them the unusually large Iranian kufteh Tabrizi, having an average diameter of 20 cm, (8 in).[2] and despite its association with Iran, it is equally as popular in northern Pakistan. Koftas were introduced to South Asia after Muslims started ruling South Asia. Koftas in South Asian cuisine are normally cooked in a spiced gravy, or curry, and sometimes simmered with hard boiled eggs. Kofta dishes are very popular with South Asian immigrants, and are widely available from many Pakistani and Indian restaurants. Vegetarian koftas are generally eaten by Hindus, with the exception of Kashmiri Hindus who by and large prefer meat koftas. Likewise, many Indian Muslims consume vegetarian koftas, including those that migrated to Pakistan in 1947. The British dish Scotch egg may have been inspired by the Moghul dish nargisi kofta (narcissus kofta where hard-boiled eggs are encased in a layer of spicy kofta meat. In Bengal, a region of eastern India, koftas are made with prawns, fish, green bananas, cabbage, as well as minced goat meat. In Kashmir and northern Pakistan, mutton is often used in the preparation of koftas, as opposed to beef or lamb. In Lebanese cuisine, kafta is usually prepared by mixing the ground beef with onion, parsley, allspice, black pepper and salt. In Moroccan cuisine, kufta may be prepared in a tagine. In Greek cuisine they are usually fried and eaten with tzatziki or yogurt. In Albania they are called Qofte, and they are usually made from beef, veal, pork or a mixture of them. They are usually served with Meze or Tarator. They are very popular all around Albania and there are many small shops called Qofteri which offer Qofte and also serve beer.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 08:06:58 +0000
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