A delicious pork mince meatball recipe from the island of Cyprus. Throughout Southeastern Europe, where Christians and Muslims lived in proximity, pork has traditionally been used as an ingredient that prevented the intermixing of Christians and Muslims as the meat is considered haram (prohibited) by the latter. This has often been significant when the two faith communities shared cultural similarities and distinction between the two needed to be maintained through the drawing practical boundaries. Turkish-Cypriot friends cook more or less the same dish but with lamb mince, and with beef having become readily available, a beef version is used throughout the island. The end result is delicious whatever the variant!
You will need
- 1kg pork mince
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoonfuls of strained yoghurt
- 4 finely grated and drained medium potatoes
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons dried mint
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon. of cayenne pepper
- a pinch of pepper
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 litre sunflower oil for frying
Place all the ingredients (apart from the baking powder) in a large bowl, mix and knead really well until everything is incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour. Remove the bowl from the fridge, add the baking powder and mix well. Scoop a handful of mixture, shape into an oval or ball shape and place on a plate or tray. Repeat until you’ve used all the mixture. Pour enough sunflower oil in a saucepan, to cover the keftedes halfway. Heat it to medium. Avoid overcrowding the pan and fry the meatballs in batches for about 7-10 minutes, turning them frequently. Ensure the heat is not too high so you don’t overcook the outside and undercook the inside. Transfer them to a plate, on kitchen tissue to absorb the excess oil and repeat this process until you’ve cooked them all.
the kitchen sorcerer 