"Sini Kofte" or Oven baked kofte´.

Ingredients:

- 500 grams of meat ( beef or lamb)

- 1 cup of fine bulgur.

- 2 onions (1 to be used with the filling and 1 for the shell)

- Salt,pepper,7 spices, cloves & nutmeg. ( For the meat filling )

- 100 grams pine nuts.

Here's how to prepare it :

The meat filling:

- Chop the onion and fry it in a small casserole then add half of the meat.

- Add the seasonings mentioned above.

- Add pine nuts too (optional)

- Let it cool.

The shell:

- Soak the bulgur in warm water for half an hour until it absorbs the water and soften.

- Place the remaining quantity of the meat in a large bowl.

- Add the bulgur to the meat, mixing and pressing with your hands until well-combined.

- Divide the mixture into two equal parts.(For top & bottom shells)

- Refrigerate for 2 hours.

- Add some water to the shell mixture if it is a little dry.

- Butter the pan.

- Wet your hands and start flattening half of the shell mixture into the bottom of the pan.

- Add the meat filling.

- Spread the remaining of the shell mixture on top till it covers the meat filling.

- Always dip your hands in water to fix any holes in the shell.

- Use a wet knife to make the pattern on the shell top.

- Spread melted butter on top.

- Bake in preheated oven (180°C) for 40 minutes,until the top is golden brown.

BON APPETIT!

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