As an American of Greek and Armenian heritage I love your channel and so enjoyed your mention of my heritage and their influences as well. We all learn so much from each other, food is such a celebration of life. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge of food and history.
Hello from Bulgarian komshu !!!. Perfect recipe...the word you looking for is "tenderizing". The onion is tenderizing the ground( kiyma) meat...I believe that Turkey dish is one of the best in the world..
🎉🎉🎉 I am of Turkish descent. I was born in America but my family has kept all of our traditions alive as much as they could. I grew up eating kofte. But when I married and left home almost 30 years now 🙄 oooh that makes me older than I feel! But I haven’t been able to replicate my mothers kofte. She was never able to explain technique to me. (You know mothers, when they try to describe a recipe, they say a little of this and until it “feels right” 🤔 But your videos explain the reasons! I love you and your entire team for explaining the reasons!! You are my Turkish Alton Brown. When I made kofte following your recipe yesterday, my husband paid me the absolute best compliment, He said it smells like a Turkish restaurant 😂❤❤❤ Love your channel! Please never change!! Allah razi olsun! ❤ from New Jersey America
In Romania we named kiftele, but is the same . Rice we put in sarmale or sarma. I love you so much because you remember my Turkish nana Zemine,God bless her. As a Turkish,she never eats alone. Thank you a lot.
What an amazing project! How wonderful to preserve Turkish cooking techniques. That is such a loving gift to give the world and future generations in Turkey.
I am just learning to cook and naturally I watch a tremendous number of cooking channels. None are as wonderful and explanatory as yours. I want to make the dishes you highlight because I know about their origins and meaning. Thank you so much for an absolutely beautiful and engaging channel.
Refika…. You are such an amazing teacher…. Thank you for the science behind the recipe…. I have been making Kofte like this as taught to me by my mother for ages, then when I got older (and lazier) I have been just using the single grind beef and thinking I was “being healthier” omitted the breadcrumbs…. I can tell you that my Kofte now is like cardboard compared to my Mother’s recipe…. I am inspired to go back and make this again… So thank you…. One more thing - In addition to the ingredients you used we also use Scallion, Scotch Bonnet Pepper and a little Mushroom Soya-Sauce in our recipe and our main herb is Thyme…. I know this doesn’t sound like Turkish Cuisine anymore but this is the result of the unique fusion cuisine that is present in Jamaica where the Turkish and Chinese migrants lived together and shared recipes…
I like your recipe.. I'm Pakistani but living in sydeny..I follow your recipes because my kids are like Turkish food..I made all time ...thanks to Allah
I love your Channel, Refika. I am British and I am convinced that Turkish/Mediterranean food is the way forward. You make it look easy and, I think, it is quite easy. Our difficulty in the UK is getting the market fresh herbs and vegetables - the different types of pepper, tomatoes etc. I keep trying. Depending where you live in the UK you can find some or all of the ingredients. Also, I eat meat but you don't need much - there's plenty of veggie/vegan stuff to keep you happy. Also not eating much meat is less expensive and better for you. Thank you so much to you and the team.
I once made kofte for work. My Scottish colleague was in love and said it was smelling like his childhood, when he used to visit his friends house after a long playful day, and his momma cooked for them. That was one of the loveliest compliments ever 😍
Thank you for these recipes. I love Turkish food and consider it as one of the best. I am especially grateful that this channel is in English. Cheers from sunny New Zealand 😎👍
Have just watched this video and it had been on my mind to ask you about Kofte recipes as they were a hit with my sons (I am a 72 year old mum of adult sons)as was the bulgar I made, we love Turkish food well we love food I should say and your beautiful face and ways are a joy to watch and you all seem to also love food. The green bean recipe Burak made when you were away reminded my of my friend making a similar dish in Cyprus (the Greek side - sorry) and I watch you every week and long for the book to come out in English when written. God bless you all and shower you with his goodness ,much love to you all.
i am indian but in love with greek and turkish cuisine, their culture ,the countries 😍😍 Refika i follow ur recipes and love the way u take us on a cultural journey ❤love from 🇬🇧 🇮🇳
im Afro-American yet i love cooking foods from all over , she has a great recipe for ground meat kabob ..absolutely delicious paired with piilaf and pita bread....i really enjoy this channel
Thank you so much! I just made the best meatballs ever by following your tips: added 3x more onion than I ever would have, much more cumin than usual, twice as many bread crumbs, let it rest after kneading (usually I would have made them immediately). So much softer and more flavorful. 😊😊😊 Love from Marge the cook and Craig the taster
My dear Rafika I am trying to save all your recipes. I am Colombian but my daily food is Turkish. When I travel to Turkey I would like to meet you and thank you in person for all I have learn how to cook Turkish food. Teshekulader
I love Turkish food and so wanted to learn Turkish cooking styles but language was the barrier. My friend recommended your channel . I am sure this will be super helpful
Thanks Rafika from Pakistan, for giving such amazing information about Turkish kofte. We cook kofte like you people do but with some twist we put poppy seeds and roasted lentil powder in it along with other spices and after giving them a shape we make a gravy to cook these kofte in it for half an hour and served with roti pratha or naan .types of kofte are, with filling, vegetables kofte, kofte pilao/pilaf and chick pea kofte etc.
Oh yes....we are making køfte today. I live in Denmark and a local pizza guy from Turkey made it. It was like you got it with salad and vegetables and his special bread. I have loved eating it for many years, but didn't know the recipe. And Mexi has past away, so I can't ask him. Thank you for great content.😊 Love hearing the background behind the dish. Take care😊
Refica- I am making your Kofte recipe for the first time tonight. I only wish I could be there with you to help in this crisis. I have donated as much as I can to Dr’s Without Borders, UNICEF, and World Central Kitchen. I did that in the first days, and will donate to your suggested organization when next I get paid. Sending prayers and love. Joan Byrne. Blessings on you all!
As Albanian I grew up with Turkish cuisine, which is part of Albanian cuisine. In the same time I had to taste too many kind of street and homemade koftes . Beside a “little headache“ from all body and hands movement of the nice lady who explain the recipes I already knew 70 to 80% of the things which were mentioned here but the other part I learned it was like university for me because it sounds very important. thank you.❤
Hi Refika! I come from a small island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean and our countries met in the 14th century, during the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey has left its mark on our local cuisine! So many of your dishes are similar, but because Malta has been so coveted & conquered by so many countries and our vicinity to Italy (60km away), our cuisine has more basil, for example and less parsley. But the main gift Turkey has left us is, Helwa Tat-Tork, which literally means "Helwa of the Turk" 😊.. I love to see how far we are geographically but so familiar in our cuisines. Thank you for sharing your country's recipes.
Sitting in my camp room in Iraq after a hard day at work and making myself hungry by watching this! I travel home via Turkish airlines and they have wicked kufte in the first class lounge. Looking forward to that 😋
Oh yip... who would not love köftas.... Thank you for sharing....will give it a try... My Mom ... British/South African decent always added oats and an egg to her "frikkadels" (meatballs) .... Which added a lovely soft texture ... But if you look further in our history.... Cape Malays added stale bread mixed with milk and an egg to make their famous Babotie... (A heritage dish... A sweet curry beef dish) The mixture gives a almost sticky soft texture.... Which I think you are aiming at.... It is so amazing no matter how far we are ... the core ingredients are the same.... Thanks so much for sharing your heritage.... If ever you make your way to South Africa.... We can share so much with you too.... Always in awe....much love
Amazing video again! I watched Turkish version and I couldn’t stop myself watching English version. Great idea to write a book about Turkish cooking techniques. It was very much needed. Delia Smith has her place in Oxford English dictionary. I think your name should be included in Turkish dictionary as our National Treasure. ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you for all the tips. My family originated from Serbia and we have Cevapcici or chufti (not sure of the spelling). You have really helped me understand how to make the best as these are just a variation of Kofte. I much appreciate your educating about the science behind practices. I also like hearing your assistant’s laughter when you make a dubious comment (mens meat). 😂😂😂 my husband laughed as well. Please continue the great job you are doing of bringing Turkish food into our kitchens. It was part of my dream to visit Istanbul but due to Covid we are not travelling at this stage. You bring Turkey into our minds and heart.
I always learn so much from you Refika. Sharing your culture with the world, the importance of techniques, and the different regional versions of Koftas. Loved it! I don’t think you spent too much time on one recipe at all! It made me realize that my lovely Canadian Mom, who loved to research and cook ethnic cuisines so many years ago…was actually replicating koftas when she made burgers! Her use of different spices, fine grinding the meat, adding binders, fresh herbs, sometimes stuffing the patties-no one else seemed to make them this way at the time. She would have loved watching you! Your next book sounds wonderful! I look forward to it!❤️
This is amazing! I do hope your cookbook will be available in an English version! This brings to mind a recipe that has long been a favorite of mine for meatballs. it is a “North African Meatball” recipe from the NYTimes a long time ago, served with couscous.
I always love your videos. In Mexico we use bread crumbs or rice to make our meatballs in a soup called albóndigas 😊 so appreciate all the knowledge it took to make this video very well made
Romanian same, they love onions and they have lots of variant of kofte too, they called "piftele". Congrats for the chanel, i learn lots of the turchish recipes that i love it and it became my treasure now 😉
Hi Refika , good job In Iran we have traditional receipe for Kofte which has mainly rice , a kind of chicken pea( called Lape), aromatic herbs and minced meat In Azarbayejan province( a province located inNorth of Iran) there is Big Kofte stuffed with a whole of one chicken😁or an egg etc
I am excited to hear that you are working on another book, Refika! Thank you for continuing to make videos including in English. Your videos have changed my cooking and the way I think about cooking so much in the past few years, and all for the good :)
I'm from Southern United States and so enjoy watching your channel. This was a wonderful tutorial. I make my meatballs very similar ingredients but just mix it quickly and fry them up. I will change a couple of things, like grating the onion, different meat/bread ratio, and kneading for a longer time. Can't wait to try. I hope you will do your rice version on this channel. Thank you for all your lessons!
We live in the USA and we love to watch your cooking videos and are so glad they are in English. It was through your videos that we first learned of Turkish culture and cuisine. We are coming to Istanbul in May 2023 and would love to meet you. Thank you for sharing your creative recipes with the world.
Your channel is my ‘go-to’ when I want to IMPRESS my husband Turkish family!!!❤❤❤. Thank you and the whole team for making Turkish cuisine accessible to Yabanci😊
Interestingly I'm pretty sure the "stretched meat" (i.e. mostly rehydrated stale bread + spices + tenderizer) ball is the original recipe for most places. Swedish meatballs, German and American patties, all started as a stretched meat recipe but became more meaty overtime. It's neat that Turkey, Greece, and other eastern European and Levantine places retained the original stretched meat recipe and made it the star rather than a "substitute".
I would love to see more and more kofte recipes! The variety is incredible but most people outside of Turkey wouldn't know just how much variety there is. Can't wait to see this cookbook you are working on :)
just discovered your channel....as you first showed the meat, bread crumbs, and eggs, I was taken back to my childhood...we were so poor, to stretch meat for our family, Mama would add eggs and bread crumbs...I was an adult when I first had a "real american hamburger" which I still am not so fond of, I like the flavor of the mixed meat....I am going to try your recipe...I have come to the conclusion that although all cultures have their own food recipes, they all have one thing in common and that is the poor of the population , it is amazing just how similar the poor of the world cooks food....what one would call pasta, others call dumplings, it is still flour and water mixed and stewed in some kind of sauce to stretch the meat that makes up the stock....we are more alike than different, which I truly believe we could have world peace if we all sat around a table and ate each cultures' food...we'd be too full of wonderful food to fight and we would understand each other more through our food...
thank you for all your deep information on the reasons why different ingredients are added, how to mix them properly and cooked them for best outcomes. you are so informative and lovely to watch. your passion is infectious
This is very interesting. I am German and my mother always made the "Frikadellen" (I guess a German expression for Köfte) with meat (usually a mix of beef and pork), onion, garlic, paprika powder, pepper, salt, chopped parsley, egg, (soaked and pressed out) stale bread and rice and a splash of milk So I guess this somewhat similar to the Turkish Köfte? I do it the same way my mother did, but since I rarely have stale bread I usually use breadcrumbs.
This is INCREDIBLE. The first video I have seen on your channel, and I'm really excited to have found your channel. You are right, these recipes and traditions are worthy of being written down, and thank you for doing the work. I do what I can to remember my mom's recipes, and particularly hearing you explain things like what spice is typical from where. You are sharing really valuable knowledge, and I'm grateful! You clearly care so much. Thank you and your team for all you do, and thank you for the onion grating idea, I'll be using that advice tonight 😋
Hey dear Dani, knowing about the food's history gives us a great feeling of acquaintance and a warm feeling of folksiness while eating them, which even changes the way you taste.... I hope you enjoy it! Lots of love ❤️😋
German here! I absolutely love your channel! And despite the distance there are so many similarities how I learned to cook the German version of köftes from my mom, which we call Frikadellen or Bulleten. We normally use different types of meat we have a 50/50 of beef and pig and the pig gives it the fat, so you don´t need any additional fat. We also use stale bread, but more often the inside of stale bread roles. Everything else is pretty similar to your recipe despite the meat seasoning. We also use a ton of chopped onions and egg and I personally really like to add a lot of parsley, sometimes the greens of fresh spring onion too. For seasoning we just use salt, black pepper and dried bell pepper and my mom always liked to give it a little twist with a tea spoon of a really good mustard. And I do exactly the same as you mentioned I prepare a ton and then freeze the rest what survived snacking while letting it cool down 😅 so my wife just needs to grab what amount she needs and quickly reheat on the stressful days. Love your insights in seasoning it the Turkish way, and I will definitely try out your recipe next time when I make the next badge! Love your inspirations to give things a different twist! Thank you!
I starting to love Turkey from watching RUclips videos. Watching your Kofte recipe, I think My Latvian Kotletes are very similar. My mom always used one egg and old bread and onion plus spices in her recipe. She also rolled in light flour before frying. They were moist and the left over Kotletes you could eat cold and still enjoy them. They also stayed fluffy.
Many thanks Refika that share with us this amazing video about kefte! I am from Bulgaria and to make kufte is tradition. Especially mom recipe is very close to our. We add some yogurt instead the vinegar and spice like oregano.
Dear Refika,this is exactly how we cook 'koftes' or meatballs here in Greece.You are absolutely right...they are so different than burgers...Thank you so much for your helpul videos👋🌷🍔
Watching from Philippine,,i just recently found your channel,,and I really love your technique of cooking,,im still watching even the old video's,,and i couldn't stopped it until late at night,,anyway,,,i really love the way you cook,,and i want to learn as well,,thank you ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
I absolutely LOVE your channel and I'm making this on my day off tomorrow. I work 6 days a week and try to not cook except on my day off. This looks like the perfect food to eat all week. I'm really looking forward to the spice mix, which is very different from what I usually use. I tend to get into a rut when doing bulk cooking, fixing a very small group of recipes on a weekly rotation. Your channel has inspired me to explore new flavors. Thank you so much!
Well, I made it. I used 50/50 pork and beef (I can't afford lamb and I don't really like ground lamb anyway). I absolutely love the way the patties came out, and the flavors are over the top. This is going to become a staple in my cooking schedule. Again, thank you so much!
I really enjoy watching your videos on Saturday mornings. This one has to be one of my top 10 favourites. Thank you for sharing this ALL this information!!
I found your English channel recently and am working my through your entire catalogue! Not only wonderful foods but humour and wisdom too ❤ I live in the UK but also have family from Danmark, and Danish meatballs are a family favourite, often served with a creamy potato salad which is delicious served either hot or cold and pickled cucumber, sometimes pickled red cabbage too which can also either be cold or heated up. I've had to tweek my family recipe a little but it's a good option for those who don't do wheat or gluten. Oats! Instead of bread I use what are called Porridge oats in the UK. Very cheap and can be stored a long time too. The day before I make my meatballs I mix the oats, the liquid (I mostly use milk but you can use flavourful liquids too), the egg and spices and leave in the refrigerator so they all become fully hydrated together and that gently wakes up the spices too Another trick which is great for people with medical conditions that affect their hands, if they have a kitchen gadget that has a dough hook for making bread, that will work for smooshing all the meatball ingredients together
Hi Refika! I make köfte very often and as you've explained, it's very convenient to have already cooked ones in the freezer at all times. I've learned a lot of new ways to make köfte thanks to this video! I'll definitely add the vinegar to mine next time as I already always add the onions,some of the spices and herbs, the breadcrumbs and the egg but I've never added the vinegar before. Thank you for this lovely lesson and hope to meet you in person someday if I ever go back to Istanbul, I find your personality and your videos very warm and inspiring. Love from Buenos Aires!
Hi, in French we say "Cuire la viande"= "Cooks the meat" when there is an ingredient like lemon juice, onion... who makes the meat turn greyish. You're videos are so interesting and i love turkish food.
You are absolutely brilliant someone who inspired me about Turkish cooking. I love how you explain turkish cooking techniques and history. Your spices makes life so much easier, Kofte is my all time favourite food now
I guess the secret lays in the kneading. For Chinese meatballs it is mixing in the same direction for 5 minutes, for köfte, it must be the kneading to built the protein chains. And, of course, the spices and the greens. 🙂 Thank you, Refika!
I just love your style of explaining the principles of cuisine, the processes, the reactions and the techniques! Thank you for being a great person and chef! ❤
I love the information about the dish you share with us. The history, cultural variations, the science behind the steps of the recipe make the dish more delicious for me.
Your videos are amazing! It was so cool learning the science behind each ingredient. You always explain everything so well. Thank you for the recipes and all the other information you give. Blessings to you!
Thanks, Refika! You always teach us so much about food and cooking! I loved this video, too! Köfte is one of my favourite Turkish dishes! I've tried it in İstanbul and enjoyed it thoroughly. The other day, I had a plate of it at Mado in Toronto. I'm so happy you shared your recipe here as well. I am going to try to make it according to your recipe next time!❤️
Yum, yum, yum! I didn't realize how much I've missed the lessons about culture and history in your videos until this one. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's to your book. I've no doubt it will be full of wisdom with a healthy dose of whimsy.
that is the best overall description of the Köfte's recipes, technicques, culture and philosophy I ever came across! (and that means something, my girlfriend is from Nevşehir, she has the very same passion and dedication for the art of cooking as you do)
Thank you Refika! Loved the video as always. Also love all the stories you tell behind the recipes. Keep them coming and I am never bored by your videos. Love to you all🇳🇱🌷🍀❤️😘
I love you smile and your energy when you are sharing with us! I will love to get the Turkish cook techniques from you. Kofte is one of my favorite foods!
I have made many of your recipes (your doner kebab is one of my family's favourites) and I can't wait to try this. I have even watched your Turkish videos, just to see the gorgeous things you make.
Refika! You and your team do such an amazing job on your videos! I always learn something. Your recipes are fantastic. Thank you so much.. keep them coming!
I haven’t visited turkey but I’ve eaten a lot of your recipes Refika . I feel blessed to have a taste of somewhere I have yet to visit and kind of know what to expect when I get there. I have tried your kofta and thoroughly enjoyed it and so it has become a once a fortnight meal, although I haven’t tried the rice version, I definitely think you should demonstrate this one for us please. As always thank you for all that you do with your wonderful team, much love x
A bit more in depth science for the enthusiast home cooks; the vinegar, onion or dairy derivates (which further lead to a lovely lacto-fermentation in the mix) lower the ph of the mixture, which leads to the denaturalization of the proteins as well as creating a harsher environment for bacteria to compete in. In other words: It cooks the protein by a chemical process, making the digestion fairly easier, allowing for a better nutrient absorptionwhile making the flavor of the proteins more appealing to our palate and extending its "shelf"-life. Pretty much the same principle which takes place in ceviche, sauerkraut or marinated fish. Pretty damn fascinating! Love these science-based cooking videos with the history behind them, thank you for expanding and sharing this amazing knowledge!
Those look absolutely delicious. I can imagine eating them in a pita bread with onions and tomatoes. I am putting them on our meal plan for next week. I’m sure even my Mister picky eater will love them.
A big thank you for your videos. My partner has had a go at making some of your recipes and has enjoyed making them and they have turned out very nice. He thinks he cant cook but hes family think different and love hes food. Your videos have got him to try them and see if they are better then twhat we order most weekends.
Thank you for great info,history and recipe. I will make some köfte for sure. Cant wait for your book 📖 ❤ just hoping there is english version too. All the best for 2023 from Finland
Thank you thank you thank you and a big thank you for passing all the small secrets of kofte cooking. Most cooks keep the secrets to themselves but you educate us. ❤
Thank you for this valuable information! I never really studied how to make Kofte just usually grab some ground lamb season it with Mediterranean spices add lots of Parsley and some fresh lemon juice.
Thank you for revealing the wonderful kofta to me! You have also cultivated a strong interest to visit Turkey in my future travel. It seems such a beautiful and country where people enjoy life! I cannot wait to experience it! Take care.
I love listening to you! It really makes me appreciate how much alike we are - so much more than how we are different. I can hardly wait for your cookbook to come out. I'll stand in line for it! These will be on my table soon. Much love, many thanks.
💛💙💛💙💛I'm a home cook for my family but I LOVE learning the why behind ingredients in our recipes, their roles. You're an excellent teacher. Thank you!😊💙💛💙💛💙💛
Oh Rafika - you are amazing! Such an interesting and complete video. I like how you put the recipe below and I love all your tips and techniques. I see these Tofte cooked in the Turkish series I watch and now I can make them myself thanks to you!
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
As an American of Greek and Armenian heritage I love your channel and so enjoyed your mention of my heritage and their influences as well. We all learn so much from each other, food is such a celebration of life. Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and knowledge of food and history.
Hello from Bulgarian komshu !!!. Perfect recipe...the word you looking for is "tenderizing". The onion is tenderizing the ground( kiyma) meat...I believe that Turkey dish is one of the best in the world..
🎉🎉🎉 I am of Turkish descent. I was born in America but my family has kept all of our traditions alive as much as they could. I grew up eating kofte. But when I married and left home almost 30 years now 🙄 oooh that makes me older than I feel! But I haven’t been able to replicate my mothers kofte. She was never able to explain technique to me. (You know mothers, when they try to describe a recipe, they say a little of this and until it “feels right” 🤔
But your videos explain the reasons! I love you and your entire team for explaining the reasons!!
You are my Turkish Alton Brown.
When I made kofte following your recipe yesterday, my husband paid me the absolute best compliment, He said it smells like a Turkish restaurant 😂❤❤❤
Love your channel! Please never change!!
Allah razi olsun!
❤ from New Jersey America
Wow this made my day!! Thank you so much for bringing out all the beauties of sharing a recipe, and indeed a memory 🥹 Sending you all my love!! ❤️
In Romania we named kiftele, but is the same . Rice we put in sarmale or sarma. I love you so much because you remember my Turkish nana Zemine,God bless her. As a Turkish,she never eats alone. Thank you a lot.
What an amazing project! How wonderful to preserve Turkish cooking techniques. That is such a loving gift to give the world and future generations in Turkey.
PLEASE do more of these. I'd be happy to watch how to make every kind of kofte!
@@Meggs23 yes! I’m impressed at all the styles of kofta…one for every day of the year and then some. Love it!!
Looks delicious !
Techniques is one thing, BLABBERING about what the onion and bread does for the meat is totally ANOTHER thing
@@Meggs23 ++ (q ssw j5
I am just learning to cook and naturally I watch a tremendous number of cooking channels. None are as wonderful and explanatory as yours. I want to make the dishes you highlight because I know about their origins and meaning. Thank you so much for an absolutely beautiful and engaging channel.
Refika…. You are such an amazing teacher…. Thank you for the science behind the recipe…. I have been making Kofte like this as taught to me by my mother for ages, then when I got older (and lazier) I have been just using the single grind beef and thinking I was “being healthier” omitted the breadcrumbs…. I can tell you that my Kofte now is like cardboard compared to my Mother’s recipe…. I am inspired to go back and make this again… So thank you…. One more thing - In addition to the ingredients you used we also use Scallion, Scotch Bonnet Pepper and a little Mushroom Soya-Sauce in our recipe and our main herb is Thyme…. I know this doesn’t sound like Turkish Cuisine anymore but this is the result of the unique fusion cuisine that is present in Jamaica where the Turkish and Chinese migrants lived together and shared recipes…
Wowwww
Great tips, thank you. In Bosnia we call them "ćufte". ❤️ Our cuisine is mostly turkish, only with different spices.
I like your recipe.. I'm Pakistani but living in sydeny..I follow your recipes because my kids are like Turkish food..I made all time ...thanks to Allah
I love your Channel, Refika. I am British and I am convinced that Turkish/Mediterranean food is the way forward. You make it look easy and, I think, it is quite easy. Our difficulty in the UK is getting the market fresh herbs and vegetables - the different types of pepper, tomatoes etc. I keep trying. Depending where you live in the UK you can find some or all of the ingredients. Also, I eat meat but you don't need much - there's plenty of veggie/vegan stuff to keep you happy. Also not eating much meat is less expensive and better for you. Thank you so much to you and the team.
I once made kofte for work. My Scottish colleague was in love and said it was smelling like his childhood, when he used to visit his friends house after a long playful day, and his momma cooked for them. That was one of the loveliest compliments ever 😍
Thank you for these recipes. I love Turkish food and consider it as one of the best.
I am especially grateful that this channel is in English.
Cheers from sunny New Zealand 😎👍
Have just watched this video and it had been on my mind to ask you about Kofte recipes as they were a hit with my sons (I am a 72 year old mum of adult sons)as was the bulgar I made, we love Turkish food well we love food I should say and your beautiful face and ways are a joy to watch and you all seem to also love food. The green bean recipe Burak made when you were away reminded my of my friend making a similar dish in Cyprus (the Greek side - sorry) and I watch you every week and long for the book to come out in English when written. God bless you all and shower you with his goodness ,much love to you all.
i am indian but in love with greek and turkish cuisine, their culture ,the countries 😍😍 Refika i follow ur recipes and love the way u take us on a cultural journey ❤love from 🇬🇧 🇮🇳
Thank you. I love Indian food and cook. Love from Southampton UK.
@@TheCilginbalik ❤️
im Afro-American yet i love cooking foods from all over , she has a great recipe for ground meat kabob ..absolutely delicious paired with piilaf and pita bread....i really enjoy this channel
Thank you so much! I just made the best meatballs ever by following your tips: added 3x more onion than I ever would have, much more cumin than usual, twice as many bread crumbs, let it rest after kneading (usually I would have made them immediately).
So much softer and more flavorful. 😊😊😊
Love from Marge the cook and Craig the taster
Love the explanation of what the different ingredients do to the meat, and how the frying process makes a difference.
My dear Rafika I am trying to save all your recipes. I am Colombian but my daily food is Turkish. When I travel to Turkey I would like to meet you and thank you in person for all I have learn how to cook Turkish food. Teshekulader
I love Turkish food and so wanted to learn Turkish cooking styles but language was the barrier. My friend recommended your channel . I am sure this will be super helpful
Thanks Rafika from Pakistan, for giving such amazing information about Turkish kofte. We cook kofte like you people do but with some twist we put poppy seeds and roasted lentil powder in it along with other spices and after giving them a shape we make a gravy to cook these kofte in it for half an hour and served with roti pratha or naan .types of kofte are, with filling, vegetables kofte, kofte pilao/pilaf and chick pea kofte etc.
Oh yes....we are making køfte today. I live in Denmark and a local pizza guy from Turkey made it. It was like you got it with salad and vegetables and his special bread.
I have loved eating it for many years, but didn't know the recipe. And Mexi has past away, so I can't ask him. Thank you for great content.😊
Love hearing the background behind the dish. Take care😊
Refica- I am making your Kofte recipe for the first time tonight. I only wish I could be there with you to help in this crisis. I have donated as much as I can to Dr’s Without Borders, UNICEF, and World Central Kitchen. I did that in the first days, and will donate to your suggested organization when next I get paid. Sending prayers and love. Joan Byrne. Blessings on you all!
As Albanian I grew up with Turkish cuisine, which is part of Albanian cuisine. In the same time I had to taste too many kind of street and homemade koftes . Beside a “little headache“ from all body and hands movement of the nice lady who explain the recipes I already knew 70 to 80% of the things which were mentioned here but the other part I learned it was like university for me because it sounds very important. thank you.❤
Another fellow Albanian here. She puts the cherry on the top of our traditional cooking. Mine have garlic too.
Hi Refika! I come from a small island bang in the middle of the Mediterranean and our countries met in the 14th century, during the Ottoman Empire, and Turkey has left its mark on our local cuisine! So many of your dishes are similar, but because Malta has been so coveted & conquered by so many countries and our vicinity to Italy (60km away), our cuisine has more basil, for example and less parsley. But the main gift Turkey has left us is, Helwa Tat-Tork, which literally means "Helwa of the Turk" 😊.. I love to see how far we are geographically but so familiar in our cuisines. Thank you for sharing your country's recipes.
Oooo so valuable infooo.. so nice to share.. this could be really nice with basil too- you gave me a nice idea to try 🙏🙏🙏❤️😘
@@Refika ❤️ 💙
Sitting in my camp room in Iraq after a hard day at work and making myself hungry by watching this! I travel home via Turkish airlines and they have wicked kufte in the first class lounge. Looking forward to that 😋
Hope u make urs whrn umgomhomr tooo 😘
Oh yip... who would not love köftas.... Thank you for sharing....will give it a try...
My Mom ... British/South African decent always added oats and an egg to her "frikkadels"
(meatballs) .... Which added a lovely soft texture ... But if you look further in our history.... Cape Malays added stale bread mixed with milk and an egg to make their famous Babotie... (A heritage dish... A sweet curry beef dish) The mixture gives a almost sticky soft texture.... Which I think you are aiming at.... It is so amazing no matter how far we are ... the core ingredients are the same.... Thanks so much for sharing your heritage.... If ever you make your way to South Africa.... We can share so much with you too.... Always in awe....much love
Hello from Greece Komşu! Kofte is life. My mums kefte are so flavourful and soft like pillows 💙
yes! I hate burgers and meatballs in general, but keftedes is my drug!
Amazing video again! I watched Turkish version and I couldn’t stop myself watching English version. Great idea to write a book about Turkish cooking techniques. It was very much needed. Delia Smith has her place in Oxford English dictionary. I think your name should be included in Turkish dictionary as our National Treasure. ❤️❤️❤️
thanks for your great comment, so glad that I have you❤️🙏🏻
I agree Refika is a National treasure.
Thank you for all the tips. My family originated from Serbia and we have Cevapcici or chufti (not sure of the spelling). You have really helped me understand how to make the best as these are just a variation of Kofte. I much appreciate your educating about the science behind practices. I also like hearing your assistant’s laughter when you make a dubious comment (mens meat). 😂😂😂 my husband laughed as well. Please continue the great job you are doing of bringing Turkish food into our kitchens. It was part of my dream to visit Istanbul but due to Covid we are not travelling at this stage. You bring Turkey into our minds and heart.
I always learn so much from you Refika. Sharing your culture with the world, the importance of techniques, and the different regional versions of Koftas. Loved it! I don’t think you spent too much time on one recipe at all!
It made me realize that my lovely Canadian Mom, who loved to research and cook ethnic cuisines so many years ago…was actually replicating koftas when she made burgers! Her use of different spices, fine grinding the meat, adding binders, fresh herbs, sometimes stuffing the patties-no one else seemed to make them this way at the time. She would have loved watching you! Your next book sounds wonderful! I look forward to it!❤️
This is amazing! I do hope your cookbook will be available in an English version! This brings to mind a recipe that has long been a favorite of mine for meatballs. it is a “North African Meatball” recipe from the NYTimes a long time ago, served with couscous.
I always love your videos. In Mexico we use bread crumbs or rice to make our meatballs in a soup called albóndigas 😊 so appreciate all the knowledge it took to make this video very well made
Romanian same, they love onions and they have lots of variant of kofte too, they called "piftele". Congrats for the chanel, i learn lots of the turchish recipes that i love it and it became my treasure now 😉
Hi Refika , good job
In Iran we have traditional receipe for Kofte which has mainly rice , a kind of chicken pea( called Lape), aromatic herbs and minced meat
In Azarbayejan province( a province located inNorth of Iran) there is Big Kofte stuffed with a whole of one chicken😁or an egg etc
I am excited to hear that you are working on another book, Refika! Thank you for continuing to make videos including in English. Your videos have changed my cooking and the way I think about cooking so much in the past few years, and all for the good :)
I'm from Southern United States and so enjoy watching your channel. This was a wonderful tutorial. I make my meatballs very similar ingredients but just mix it quickly and fry them up. I will change a couple of things, like grating the onion, different meat/bread ratio, and kneading for a longer time. Can't wait to try.
I hope you will do your rice version on this channel. Thank you for all your lessons!
We live in the USA and we love to watch your cooking videos and are so glad they are in English. It was through your videos that we first learned of Turkish culture and cuisine. We are coming to Istanbul in May 2023 and would love to meet you. Thank you for sharing your creative recipes with the world.
Your channel is my ‘go-to’ when I want to IMPRESS my husband Turkish family!!!❤❤❤. Thank you and the whole team for making Turkish cuisine accessible to Yabanci😊
Interestingly I'm pretty sure the "stretched meat" (i.e. mostly rehydrated stale bread + spices + tenderizer) ball is the original recipe for most places. Swedish meatballs, German and American patties, all started as a stretched meat recipe but became more meaty overtime. It's neat that Turkey, Greece, and other eastern European and Levantine places retained the original stretched meat recipe and made it the star rather than a "substitute".
I love the history you provide with cooking. I also love that you don’t waste food.
It’s been a great pleasure sharing what we have here with you guys ❤️ lots of love
I would love to see more and more kofte recipes! The variety is incredible but most people outside of Turkey wouldn't know just how much variety there is. Can't wait to see this cookbook you are working on :)
Merhaba .... just cooked your Köfte recipe for the first time ...... delicious 😋 🤤..... tesekkür ederim .... lezzetli xxx
Like her breakdown the purpose of adding the ingredients. Really helpful for people to make their own version
just discovered your channel....as you first showed the meat, bread crumbs, and eggs, I was taken back to my childhood...we were so poor, to stretch meat for our family, Mama would add eggs and bread crumbs...I was an adult when I first had a "real american hamburger" which I still am not so fond of, I like the flavor of the mixed meat....I am going to try your recipe...I have come to the conclusion that although all cultures have their own food recipes, they all have one thing in common and that is the poor of the population , it is amazing just how similar the poor of the world cooks food....what one would call pasta, others call dumplings, it is still flour and water mixed and stewed in some kind of sauce to stretch the meat that makes up the stock....we are more alike than different, which I truly believe we could have world peace if we all sat around a table and ate each cultures' food...we'd be too full of wonderful food to fight and we would understand each other more through our food...
My son (12y) wants to visit Istanbul. I hope to be there in the summer. We will love the Turkish food.
thank you for all your deep information on the reasons why different ingredients are added, how to mix them properly and cooked them for best outcomes. you are so informative and lovely to watch. your passion is infectious
This is very interesting.
I am German and my mother always made the "Frikadellen" (I guess a German expression for Köfte) with meat (usually a mix of beef and pork), onion, garlic, paprika powder, pepper, salt, chopped parsley, egg, (soaked and pressed out) stale bread and rice and a splash of milk So I guess this somewhat similar to the Turkish Köfte?
I do it the same way my mother did, but since I rarely have stale bread I usually use breadcrumbs.
This is INCREDIBLE. The first video I have seen on your channel, and I'm really excited to have found your channel. You are right, these recipes and traditions are worthy of being written down, and thank you for doing the work. I do what I can to remember my mom's recipes, and particularly hearing you explain things like what spice is typical from where. You are sharing really valuable knowledge, and I'm grateful! You clearly care so much. Thank you and your team for all you do, and thank you for the onion grating idea, I'll be using that advice tonight 😋
Hey dear Dani, knowing about the food's history gives us a great feeling of acquaintance and a warm feeling of folksiness while eating them, which even changes the way you taste.... I hope you enjoy it! Lots of love ❤️😋
German here! I absolutely love your channel! And despite the distance there are so many similarities how I learned to cook the German version of köftes from my mom, which we call Frikadellen or Bulleten. We normally use different types of meat we have a 50/50 of beef and pig and the pig gives it the fat, so you don´t need any additional fat. We also use stale bread, but more often the inside of stale bread roles. Everything else is pretty similar to your recipe despite the meat seasoning. We also use a ton of chopped onions and egg and I personally really like to add a lot of parsley, sometimes the greens of fresh spring onion too. For seasoning we just use salt, black pepper and dried bell pepper and my mom always liked to give it a little twist with a tea spoon of a really good mustard. And I do exactly the same as you mentioned I prepare a ton and then freeze the rest what survived snacking while letting it cool down 😅 so my wife just needs to grab what amount she needs and quickly reheat on the stressful days.
Love your insights in seasoning it the Turkish way, and I will definitely try out your recipe next time when I make the next badge! Love your inspirations to give things a different twist! Thank you!
I starting to love Turkey from watching RUclips videos. Watching your Kofte recipe, I think My Latvian Kotletes are very similar. My mom always used one egg and old bread and onion plus spices in her recipe. She also rolled in light flour before frying. They were moist and the left over Kotletes you could eat cold and still enjoy them. They also stayed fluffy.
Many thanks Refika that share with us this amazing video about kefte! I am from Bulgaria and to make kufte is tradition. Especially mom recipe is very close to our. We add some yogurt instead the vinegar and spice like oregano.
You know Rafika, I am speachless. I am Hunharian, we have a food "fasirt" and I had to recognize, that is the basic köfte. :)
Dear Refika,this is exactly how we cook 'koftes' or meatballs here in Greece.You are absolutely right...they are so different than burgers...Thank you so much for your helpul videos👋🌷🍔
Watching from Philippine,,i just recently found your channel,,and I really love your technique of cooking,,im still watching even the old video's,,and i couldn't stopped it until late at night,,anyway,,,i really love the way you cook,,and i want to learn as well,,thank you ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️
I made this recipe for my Turkish boyfriend and he loved it so much. Thank you for your videos !!!❤
I absolutely LOVE your channel and I'm making this on my day off tomorrow. I work 6 days a week and try to not cook except on my day off. This looks like the perfect food to eat all week. I'm really looking forward to the spice mix, which is very different from what I usually use. I tend to get into a rut when doing bulk cooking, fixing a very small group of recipes on a weekly rotation. Your channel has inspired me to explore new flavors. Thank you so much!
Well, I made it. I used 50/50 pork and beef (I can't afford lamb and I don't really like ground lamb anyway). I absolutely love the way the patties came out, and the flavors are over the top. This is going to become a staple in my cooking schedule. Again, thank you so much!
I really enjoy watching your videos on Saturday mornings. This one has to be one of my top 10 favourites. Thank you for sharing this ALL this information!!
I found your English channel recently and am working my through your entire catalogue! Not only wonderful foods but humour and wisdom too ❤
I live in the UK but also have family from Danmark, and Danish meatballs are a family favourite, often served with a creamy potato salad which is delicious served either hot or cold and pickled cucumber, sometimes pickled red cabbage too which can also either be cold or heated up.
I've had to tweek my family recipe a little but it's a good option for those who don't do wheat or gluten. Oats! Instead of bread I use what are called Porridge oats in the UK. Very cheap and can be stored a long time too. The day before I make my meatballs I mix the oats, the liquid (I mostly use milk but you can use flavourful liquids too), the egg and spices and leave in the refrigerator so they all become fully hydrated together and that gently wakes up the spices too
Another trick which is great for people with medical conditions that affect their hands, if they have a kitchen gadget that has a dough hook for making bread, that will work for smooshing all the meatball ingredients together
Hi Refika! I make köfte very often and as you've explained, it's very convenient to have already cooked ones in the freezer at all times. I've learned a lot of new ways to make köfte thanks to this video! I'll definitely add the vinegar to mine next time as I already always add the onions,some of the spices and herbs, the breadcrumbs and the egg but I've never added the vinegar before. Thank you for this lovely lesson and hope to meet you in person someday if I ever go back to Istanbul, I find your personality and your videos very warm and inspiring. Love from Buenos Aires!
wonderful video, Great chef personality and authentic recipes! Can't wait to try one! Have watched so many and enjoyed my visits to Turkey with you!
Hi, in French we say "Cuire la viande"= "Cooks the meat" when there is an ingredient like lemon juice, onion... who makes the meat turn greyish.
You're videos are so interesting and i love turkish food.
Mission for 2023. Eat Turkish food in Turkey. Thank you for your enthusiasm. 🤓🦊📚
You are absolutely brilliant someone who inspired me about Turkish cooking. I love how you explain turkish cooking techniques and history.
Your spices makes life so much easier, Kofte is my all time favourite food now
Lots of loves and respect Refika! You are amazing at what you are doing, and making all us proud sharing our culture and knowledge with the world 💕
I guess the secret lays in the kneading. For Chinese meatballs it is mixing in the same direction for 5 minutes, for köfte, it must be the kneading to built the protein chains. And, of course, the spices and the greens. 🙂 Thank you, Refika!
I just love your style of explaining the principles of cuisine, the processes, the reactions and the techniques! Thank you for being a great person and chef! ❤
Aww, thank you for watching us! Lots of love ❤️
@@Refika hugs from Fiji!
Love your recipes and video's. Thank you Refika. Greetings from Holland Neriman
I love the information about the dish you share with us. The history, cultural variations, the science behind the steps of the recipe make the dish more delicious for me.
I love how you explain things and then it starts making sense....
Keep up the good work .
Like we say in Urdu Shabash
This is as good a video about Koftes that you would ever want as a viewer. Continue your good work ❤️ Happy to have learnt so many things today!
Your videos are amazing! It was so cool learning the science behind each ingredient. You always explain everything so well. Thank you for the recipes and all the other information you give. Blessings to you!
love people who are passionate about their food.
Thanks, Refika! You always teach us so much about food and cooking! I loved this video, too! Köfte is one of my favourite Turkish dishes! I've tried it in İstanbul and enjoyed it thoroughly. The other day, I had a plate of it at Mado in Toronto. I'm so happy you shared your recipe here as well. I am going to try to make it according to your recipe next time!❤️
Yum, yum, yum! I didn't realize how much I've missed the lessons about culture and history in your videos until this one. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Here's to your book. I've no doubt it will be full of wisdom with a healthy dose of whimsy.
This is the Köfte essay that I didn’t think I needed.Thank you guys!🙌🏻💖
Im so glad I found your channel! My Great grandparents are Turkish 🇹🇷
Hello from storming Florida. You make our day shine, and when we watch you, we just forget all the bad in the world.
that is the best overall description of the Köfte's recipes, technicques, culture and philosophy I ever came across!
(and that means something, my girlfriend is from Nevşehir, she has the very same passion and dedication for the art of cooking as you do)
You should tell her follow her dream & passion! ❤️
@@Refika thank you for your kind words, I just forwarded your message to her! Keep up your good work!
Thank you Refika! Loved the video as always. Also love all the stories you tell behind the recipes. Keep them coming and I am never bored by your videos. Love to you all🇳🇱🌷🍀❤️😘
Love that I found your channel. It is an inspiration and now I am motivated to cook Turkish dishes.
I am from Bulgaria and I love you! All of your dishes feel like home thank you for the great videos!
Glad you like them!
I love you smile and your energy when you are sharing with us! I will love to get the Turkish cook techniques from you. Kofte is one of my favorite foods!
I have made many of your recipes (your doner kebab is one of my family's favourites) and I can't wait to try this. I have even watched your Turkish videos, just to see the gorgeous things you make.
Refika! You and your team do such an amazing job on your videos! I always learn something. Your recipes are fantastic. Thank you so much.. keep them coming!
I haven’t visited turkey but I’ve eaten a lot of your recipes Refika . I feel blessed to have a taste of somewhere I have yet to visit and kind of know what to expect when I get there. I have tried your kofta and thoroughly enjoyed it and so it has become a once a fortnight meal, although I haven’t tried the rice version, I definitely think you should demonstrate this one for us please. As always thank you for all that you do with your wonderful team, much love x
I love how you show your excitement about making and eating food, Refika!
❤ from 🇨🇦
A bit more in depth science for the enthusiast home cooks; the vinegar, onion or dairy derivates (which further lead to a lovely lacto-fermentation in the mix) lower the ph of the mixture, which leads to the denaturalization of the proteins as well as creating a harsher environment for bacteria to compete in.
In other words: It cooks the protein by a chemical process, making the digestion fairly easier, allowing for a better nutrient absorptionwhile making the flavor of the proteins more appealing to our palate and extending its "shelf"-life. Pretty much the same principle which takes place in ceviche, sauerkraut or marinated fish.
Pretty damn fascinating! Love these science-based cooking videos with the history behind them, thank you for expanding and sharing this amazing knowledge!
Your so amazing ! Love to watch ur vlog from Philippine .keep it up Refika. I love Turkish dishes
Those look absolutely delicious. I can imagine eating them in a pita bread with onions and tomatoes. I am putting them on our meal plan for next week. I’m sure even my Mister picky eater will love them.
Luv from India
We make kofte with curry delicacy and speciality
Thank you for sharing different technique
A big thank you for your videos. My partner has had a go at making some of your recipes and has enjoyed making them and they have turned out very nice. He thinks he cant cook but hes family think different and love hes food. Your videos have got him to try them and see if they are better then twhat we order most weekends.
Thank you for great info,history and recipe. I will make some köfte for sure.
Cant wait for your book 📖 ❤ just hoping there is english version too.
All the best for 2023 from Finland
Thank you Refika! I love your attention to detail and explaining the *why* of these wonderful recipes
I just made some köfte following your recipe and it was absolutely amazing! Thank you!
Thanks
Thank you thank you thank you and a big thank you for passing all the small secrets of kofte cooking. Most cooks keep the secrets to themselves but you educate us. ❤
Thank you for this valuable information! I never really studied how to make Kofte just usually grab some ground lamb season it with Mediterranean spices add lots of Parsley and some fresh lemon juice.
Thank you for revealing the wonderful kofta to me! You have also cultivated a strong interest to visit Turkey in my future travel. It seems such a beautiful and country where people enjoy life! I cannot wait to experience it! Take care.
It is a beautiful country with wonderful fresh food and the most hospitable people.
I love listening to you! It really makes me appreciate how much alike we are - so much more than how we are different. I can hardly wait for your cookbook to come out. I'll stand in line for it! These will be on my table soon. Much love, many thanks.
💛💙💛💙💛I'm a home cook for my family but I LOVE learning the why behind ingredients in our recipes, their roles. You're an excellent teacher. Thank you!😊💙💛💙💛💙💛
Oh Rafika - you are amazing! Such an interesting and complete video. I like how you put the recipe below and I love all your tips and techniques. I see these Tofte cooked in the Turkish series I watch and now I can make them myself thanks to you!