Have you ever been on holiday and been tempted to bring back some foodie item simply because you like the look of it or you’ve had it at some little restaurant there and imagine you’re going to recreate the dish at home?
Unusual herbs or spices often fall into this category simply because they’re easy to pack into a suitcase but how many of us, once we’re home, ever use them or even know how to use them? I’m willing to bet that sumac is one of these.
What is sumac?
It’s a shrub or small tree (rhus) which produces reddish or purple berries in the late summer/early autumn. These are picked just before they ripen and left to dry in the sun before being ground into a powder.
Sumac has virtually no aroma but a definite tangy lemony flavour: an essential Middle Eastern ingredient and often added to salads or meats in marinades, spicy rubs or dressings.
Here then is a delicious köfte recipe where you can use it!
The presentation of these sumaklı köfte with the drizzled garlic yogurt and the tart purple sumac with a little chopped parsley scattered around, makes it a very attractive dish: the mingling tastes won’t disappoint!
- Place the mince in a deep bowl and add the finely chopped onion and parsley, the crushed garlic. Mix well.
- Add the spices, break the eggs in and knead the mixture. The more you knead, the better the taste will be. Add the bread crumbs or breadcrumb flour to reach the right consistency.
- Shape the mixture into long finger-shapes and fry in a little oil. NB Refika specifies 2 cm but I used less. Place the cooked köfte on some kitchen paper to absorb excess oil.
For the sauce:
- Add the crushed garlic and salt to the yogurt and mix to a creamy consistency.
- To serve, arrange the meatballs on a dish and drizzle the sauce over the hot köfte.
- Sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley and sumac.
- Serve with salad and rice.
If you are not going to eat them immediately, place the uncooked köfte on a plate and cover with clingfilm. Keep in the fridge till required. They will stay there happily for a couple of days. They also freeze brilliantly.
My other favourite recipe which uses sumac is Purslane salad with walnuts. (Purslane is semizotu in Turkish). The sour tasting sumac is used instead of lemon juice. Try it and see!
oh yum! i have some lamb and beef in the fridge which i need to use and ever since i started reading the turkish blogs i put sumac in all sorts of dishes. sumac grows as weeds all over the place here.
Does it really? Is it an attractive bush? But there are apparently 250 species ….!
I know I have often brought back unusual spices – and I remember one being sumac! These look delicious and I'm sure the garlic yogurt is the perfect addition.
http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/
Hi miss b! Thanks for coming back to my blog :)) They were pretty good if I do say so myself!
Funny you should say that. We've just got back from Italy and couldn't resist slipping a bit of naughty cheese and salami into the rucksack. 😉 As for sumac, EVERYONE should love sumac. Perfect in every salad. Your köfte looks yum, by the way.
The other thing I find when I bring things back is that I forget I have it and next time I look, it's past its expiry date!! Sumac is a rather odd spice, I think but I do like it!
Yummmm….love any kind of kofte. I've never tried putting 'sumac' into my koftes, but will now. Actually nobody here really uses sumac and I do have some I use in some Turkish recipes and people here have never heard of it.
I also make a batch of big koftes and place them in the fridge and we just grab it when you want a snack the next day….thanks for posting those photos of your delicious 'koftes'. 🙂
They sound amazing Claudia and I do have sumac in my cupboard!
Hello everybody! Erica, I read that there is a drink that they make in the US with sumac! Imagine that! Glad you like the pics too!
Hi Val, I thought you would have some sumac tucked away..!!
Gorgeous, gorgerous Claudia, anything with sumac gets me, love that tangy flavor! Must try this one 🙂
We brought back lots of food items from Turkey. And yes, I bought some sumac indeed!! 🙂 lovely recipe there!
Oh my, This is such a gorgeous dish! I am of Lebanese heritage and those flavors are so much a part of our cooking. A lovely recipe!
I just made these and they were wonderful! I did half lamb/half beef and cut back on the spices by almost half. An ice cream scoop worked great for portioning out each köfte and I froze half before cooking. Sumac is a wonderful spice – thank you for providing a new way to use it! I'm lucky to have lots of middle eastern markets here in So. California and brought back some spices from Istanbul last year. Wish I'd bought more spices and less tea.