Shifta
Juicy Iraqi-Kurdish meat patties with tomato, herbs and cumin, pan-fried to a golden crust.
Ingredients
- beef mince500 g
- potato1 pcs
- onion1 pcs
- tomato2 pcs
- garlic4 cloves
- parsley20 g
- tomato paste3 tbsp
- ground cumin1 tsp
- curry1.5 tbsp
- black pepper (ground)1 tbsp
- salt1 tsp
- wheat flour120 g
- water50 ml
- vegetable oil100 ml
Instructions
Finely chop the potato, onion, two tomatoes and garlic, or pulse them in a food processor until you get a coarse vegetable mixture; chop the parsley.
In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, vegetable mixture, parsley, tomato paste, cumin, curry powder, black pepper, salt and flour. Knead with your hands for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth and sticky.
Check the binding: fry a teaspoon of the mixture in a dry skillet. If it falls apart, mix in another 1–2 tablespoons of flour.
Wet your palms with water, pinch off portions of about 45–50 g each, roll into balls, then flatten into thin oblong patties about 1 cm thick.
Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet to a depth of 3–5 mm and heat over medium heat; the oil should sizzle gently when a bit of the mixture is dropped in.
Fry the shifta in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, turning only once so the patties don't fall apart. They should be nicely browned and cooked through.
Transfer the finished patties to a paper towel and serve hot right away.
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