Festive Armenian Double-Layered Meat Patties

Armenian national dish — delicious two-layer meat cutlet! Ishli kufta is a cutlet with a surprise. The minced meat filling is wrapped in a shell made of another type of minced meat, so the finished cutlet, which is traditionally made in the shape of a lemon, turns out to be two-layered. This national Armenian dish is prepared for the festive New Yearʼs table or other feasts. A proper ishli kufta should have thin walls and a fatty, juicy filling inside. In the section these layers are clearly visible. I will admit right away that although the recipe did not seem complicated to me and there were no particular difficulties during the cooking process, in the finished cutlet the layers seemed to merge with each other, although the taste of the shell and filling was noticeably different. Apparently, the bulgur I came across was too large; it had to be ground beforehand or passed through a meat grinder, but the understanding of this came at the end, when the dish was ready. Well, okay, I’ll give you my version, because the kyufta turned out to be juicy, aromatic and tasty, although not quite classic in appearance!
cook time: 2h
Ethan Rowley
Festive Armenian Double-Layered Meat Patties

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

282
Calories
22g
Fat
8g
Carbs
11g
Protein

Ingredients (8 portions)

Shell:

Salt 1 tsp
Ground black pepper to taste
Eggs 1 pc
Paprika 1 tsp
Ground beef 500 g
Bulgur 1 cup

Filling:

Salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
Walnuts 1 cup
Bulb onions 3 pc
Minced meat 500 g
Sunflower oil 4 tbsp

Recipe instructions

Step 1

Step 1
Ingredients.

Step 2

Step 2
First we prepare the shell. Pour boiling water over the bulgur and leave for 8-10 minutes.

Step 3

Step 3
Drain the water, placing the cereal in a sieve. Bulgur should be half-cooked. (As experience has shown, it is better to mince steamed bulgur or grind it in another way.)

Step 4

Step 4
In a bowl, combine lean ground beef, steamed bulgur, egg, salt, black pepper and paprika.

Step 5

Step 5
Knead the minced meat until smooth, the mixture should be slightly sticky and elastic. While the filling is being prepared, the meat “dough” can be placed in the refrigerator.

Step 6

Step 6
Now letʼs prepare the filling. Fry the nuts in a dry frying pan until golden brown, chop with a knife and crush with a rolling pin, but not too finely so that individual pieces remain.

Step 7

Step 7
Peel the onion and chop very finely.

Step 8

Step 8
Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan. Fry the onion and fatty ground beef, breaking up any lumps.

Step 9

Step 9
When the meat is completely cooked, add nuts, salt and pepper and stir. Let the filling cool completely.

Step 10

Step 10
Letʼs start forming the ishli kufta (kuftas?). Take 1 tbsp. minced meat with bulgur, form a ball, place it in the palm of your left hand, with the fingers of your right hand, knead it into a flat cake about 5 mm thick. It should be the same thickness, without holes or bulges.

Step 11

Step 11
Place 2 tsp in the middle of the cake. meat filling with nuts.

Step 12

Step 12
Pinch the edges to give the cutlet a lemon shape. Place the formed cutlets in the refrigerator for half an hour. Meanwhile, boil about 1 liter of water in a large saucepan.

Step 13

Step 13
Boil the cooled cutlets over low heat, placing no more than 3 pieces in the pan at a time. Cook for about 3 minutes, since the minced meat inside is already ready, you just need to thoroughly steam the outer meat casing. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the boiled cutlets on both sides until golden brown.

Step 14

Step 14
Serve ishli kufta hot with lettuce leaves and lemon slices. It is customary to sprinkle these meat cutlets with lemon juice already on the plate.

Additional rubrics

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