Keftedes

Κεφτέδες

Serves:
6 people
Prep time:
40 minutes
Cook time:
20 minutes

Keftedes (pronounced kef-te-des) are traditional Greek meatballs you can find in all shapes, sizes, flavours and colours. Such is the versatility of this dish, Yiayia blends together both Greek and Cypriot influences to make for a unique and delicious meal. We like to eat them by themselves, but they can be served with a tomato based sauce, in pita or on couscous just to name a few options. Keep an eye out for members of the family hovering around the kitchen while you’re cooking these—they tend to be eaten up before they even make it to the dining table

Ingredients

  • 5 large potatoes
  • 500g lamb mince(or beef if you can’t find lamb mince)
  • 4 tablespoons of parsley finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of mint
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper
  • ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • The juice of 1 large lemon
  • ½ cup of breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup of canola oil or as needed to shallow fry all your keftedes

Method

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  1. Finely grate into a large bowl. Use the finest option on your grater, it’ll be worth it
  2. After grating all the potatoes, drain out all the excess liquid using a sieve and/or paper towels
  3. In a large bowl, add the minced meat. Yiayia used to her own using lamb belly, but store-bought mince works just as well — and if you can’t find lamb, beef is a fine substitute
  4. Add parsley, , , and pepper, , juice and bread crumbs. Mix together well using your hands, then mix in the
  5. Take a handful of the mixture, about the size of your palm, and mould into egg-shaped formations
  6. Heat a large pan over a high heat and pour in enough to shallow fry the keftedes, around 1 cup. Make sure the oil is piping hot before you try to cook anything
  7. Using tongs, carefully place your keftedes into the oil
  8. After 2-3 minutes, the bottom-side should be golden brown and firm. Once brown, flip each of the keftedes and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until both sides are golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside
  9. Using paper towels, pat the keftedes dry to remove as much oil from the surface as possible
  10. Serve on a large plate and squeeze an extra bit of lemon juice over the top and garnish with parsley
Inset of a pile of golden-brown keftedes topped with mint leaves
Figure 1. Pile of deliciousness

From Yiayia's Fridge · page 45