From the Kitchen: Köfte (Kynda-style) (low carb)

Written By Kynda Colson

Tonight, my culinary trip around the world took me and my kitchen to Turkey!

Tonight's dish was köfte (roughly pronounced KUF-teh), a traditional Turkish dish made with seasoned ground meat shaped into small patties and cooked until beautifully browned.

The seasonings caught my attention immediately—onion, fresh parsley, cumin, paprika and coriander. Simple ingredients, but together they give the beef a wonderfully warm, savory flavor.

I made the traditional-style köfte first and, of course, had to taste one straight out of the skillet.

It was perfectly delicious just as it was.

But then I looked at all those wonderful browned bits left behind in my cast-iron skillet and thought...

This needs gravy. 😂

Now, let me be clear: the creamy gravy is not the traditional way to serve Turkish köfte. That's where this recipe officially became Köfte — Kynda-Style.

I made a Turkish-inspired creamy pan gravy using those flavorful drippings, sour cream, butter and garlic. Then I returned the köfte to the skillet and let that gravy surround every one of those beautifully browned little patties.

Oh. My.

The köfte were delicious without it.

With the gravy? Mouthwatering.

The tanginess of the sour cream balances the warm cumin and other spices beautifully, while all those browned bits from the skillet give the gravy incredible flavor.

So while you can absolutely stop after cooking the köfte and enjoy a delicious dish much closer to the traditional Turkish preparation, around here...

We're making the gravy. 😂

Köfte (Kynda-Style)

Makes approximately 16–18 köfte | Serves 5–6

For the Köfte

  • 2 lbs ground beef

  • 1 medium onion, very finely grated

  • 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp garlic powder

  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley

  • 2 tsp ground cumin

  • 1½ tsp sweet paprika

  • ¾ tsp ground coriander

  • 1¼ tsp salt

  • ¾ tsp black pepper

  • ¼–½ tsp red pepper flakes, optional

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil, for cooking

For the Kynda-Style Creamy Pan Gravy

  • Drippings and browned bits from cooking the köfte

  • ¾ cup water

  • ½ cup sour cream

  • 1 Tbsp butter

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

  • Black pepper, to taste

  • Salt, if needed

  • 1 tsp cornstarch

  • 1 Tbsp cold water

Directions

Finely grate the onion. If it is particularly juicy, gently squeeze out some of the excess liquid.

Combine the ground beef, grated onion, garlic powder, parsley, cumin, paprika, coriander, salt, black pepper, optional red pepper flakes and egg in a large bowl.

Using your hands, mix thoroughly for about 2–3 minutes, until the mixture becomes cohesive and slightly tacky. Unlike hamburger patties, you actually want to work the meat mixture well.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Shape into approximately 16–18 small oblong patties, about 3 inches long and ½–¾ inch thick.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to lightly coat the surface. Cook the köfte in batches for approximately 3–4 minutes per side, until nicely browned and the centers reach 160°F.

At this point, you have delicious köfte and can certainly stop here for a more traditional presentation.

Or...

Make the Gravy!

Remove the köfte from the skillet, but leave those wonderful drippings and browned bits right where they are.

Pour ¾ cup water into the skillet and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low.

Place the sour cream in a small bowl and stir in a few spoonfuls of the hot pan liquid to temper it. Slowly stir the sour cream mixture back into the skillet.

Add the butter and garlic powder. Taste before adding any additional salt.

Mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Stir into the gravy and cook gently until it reaches your preferred consistency. Don't allow the gravy to come to a hard boil after adding the sour cream.

Return the köfte to the skillet and generously spoon the creamy gravy over them. Let everything warm together for another couple of minutes.

Then grab a plate.

This little culinary adventure started with a traditional Turkish dish and ended with something decidedly my own.

And that's one of the things I'm enjoying most about cooking my way around the world—learning about foods I've never experienced before, appreciating what makes them special, and occasionally bringing a little Kynda into the kitchen, too. ❤️

From the Kitchen. From the Farm. From the Heart.

Kynda Colson
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