İzmir Köfte — Baked Meatballs with Potatoes and Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

• 500g beef or lamb mince
• 1 onion, grated and squeezed dry
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 long green peppers, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Turkish tomato paste (domates salçası) or tomato purée
• 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 250ml hot water
• 1 tsp paprika

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Mix the mince, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, cumin, salt and pepper together and shape into 16 oval meatballs.

2. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or casserole and brown the meatballs for 5 minutes, turning, then set aside. Brown the potato wedges in the same pan for 5 minutes.

3. Stir the tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, hot water, paprika and a pinch of salt together and pour into the pan.

4. Arrange the meatballs and peppers among the potatoes. Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

5. Serve straight from the dish with rice or bread.