Polat stuffed bulgur meatballs (Doğanşehir, Malatya)

Method

1. For the filling, chop the onion finely and fry it in 15 g of the butter until pink.

2. In a separate pan, fry the minced meat until it has absorbed its juices. Add the remaining butter, the salt, black pepper, red pepper powder, basil and dried parsley, and fry for 10 more minutes.

   10 min

3. Add the fried onion to the pot with the meat and fry a few more minutes, then leave to cool. Shape the cooled filling into 30-35 g balls.

4. For the shell, knead the minced meat, salt and onion for 30 minutes.

   30 min

5. Add the bulgur and water and keep kneading until the mixture holds its shape without falling apart.

6. Take 60-65 g pieces of the shell mixture and roll them into 12-13 cm long shapes. Hollow each one with your index finger and thin the wall to 0.3-0.5 cm. Put a 30-35 g ball of filling in the hollow and close the opening. Lay the meatballs on a tray without touching.

7. Boil water in a wide pot that fits the meatballs and stir in 20 g salt. Cook the meatballs in the boiling water for 8 minutes.

   8 min

8. Serve hot.