View source for Kofta

{{Short description|Middle Eastern and South Asian meatballs}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}

[[File:Koofteh tabrizi.jpg|thumb|[[Koofteh Tabrizi]] from [[Iranian cuisine|Iran]]]]
'''Kofta''' is a family of [[meatball]] or [[meatloaf]] dishes found in [[South Asian cuisine|South Asian]], [[Central Asian cuisine|Central Asian]], [[Balkan cuisine|Balkan]], [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle Eastern]], [[Maghrebi cuisine|North African]], and [[Caucasian cuisine|South Caucasian]] cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of [[Ground meat|minced meat]]—usually beef, chicken, lamb or mutton, camel, seldom pork, or a mixture—mixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients.<ref name="Ayto1994">{{cite book |last1=Ayto |first1=John |title=A Gourmet's Guide: Food and Drink from A to Z |date=1994 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-280025-1 |page=184 |language=en |quote=In Indian cookery, the term ''kofta'' denotes a spiced meatball, or a similarly shaped mass of chopped fish or vegetable, cooked in a spicy sauce. In Hindi, the word means literally 'pounded meat'.}}</ref> The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb.

There are many national and regional variations. There are also vegetable and uncooked versions. Shapes vary and include balls, patties, and cylinders. Sizes typically vary from that of a [[golf ball]] to that of an orange.

==Etymology==
In English, ''kofta'' is a [[loanword]] borrowed from the [[Hindustani language|Hindi-Urdu]] कोफ़्ता / {{Nastaliq|کوفتہ}} and [[Persian language|Persian]] {{lang|fa|کوفته}}  ''kofta'' meaning ''pounded meat''.<ref name="Ayto1994"/><ref>{{cite web |title=kofta |url=https://www.oed.com/dictionary/kofta_n?tl=true |publisher=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |access-date=27 December 2023 |date=2023 |quote=The earliest known use of the noun ''kofta'' is in the 1880s. OED's earliest evidence for kofta is from 1888, in the writing of W. H. Dawe. ''kofta'' is a borrowing from Hindi. Etymons: Hindi ''kofta''.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite dictionary |title=kofta |dictionary=[[Concise Oxford English Dictionary]]: Luxury Edition |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sYScAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA790 |date=18 August 2011 |editor-last=Stevenson |editor-first=Angus |edition=12th |page=790 |language=en |isbn=978-0-19-960111-0 |editor2-last=Waite |editor2-first=Maurice|quote=ORIGIN from Urdu and Pers. ''koftah'' 'pounded meat'}}</ref><ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |title= Origin of Kofte, Turkish köfte Arabic kufta and Hindi and Urdu koftā all from Persian kōfta (Persian kūfte) from passive participle of kōftan to pound, bray |url=https://www.yourdictionary.com/kofte}}
</ref> The earliest extant use of the word in the Urdu language is attested in [[Mulla Nusrati]]'s ''ʿAlī&nbsp;Nāma'' (1665).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nuṣratī |first=Mullā |url=https://www.rekhta.org/ebooks/masnavi-ali-nama-mulla-nusrati-ebooks |url-access=registration |title=ʿAlī Nāma |year=1665 |pages=234 |language=ur |script-title=ur:علی نامہ |quote={{Lang|ur-Latn|Na tha har ġalūla nibolī te kam {{noitalic|/}} Rakhe kofte {{noitalic|[pl.]}} bār golīyāṅ te jam}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite dictionary |url=http://udb.gov.pk/result_details.php?word=191385 |date=June 1993 |orig-date=22 vols pub. 1977–2010 |editor-last=Fatehpuri |editor-first=Farman |editor-link=Farman Fatehpuri |title=kofta |script-title=ur:کوفتہ |dictionary=[[Urdu Lughat|Urdu Lughat (Tareekhi Usool Par)]] ''[Urdu Dictionary on Historical Principles]'' |publisher=Urdu Dictionary Board |volume=15 |language=Urdu}}</ref> It was first used in English in ''[[Qanoon-e-Islam]]'' (1832),<ref>{{Cite book |last=Shurreef |first=Jaffur |title=Qanoon-e-Islam |title-link=Qanoon-e-Islam |date=1832 |publisher=[[Parbury, Allen, and Co.]] |location=London, England |page=xxx |language=ur |translator-last=Herklots |translator-first=Gerhard Andreas |script-title=ur:قانونِ اسلام |trans-title=The Customs of the Moosulmans of India; Comprising a Full and Exact Account of Their Various Rites and Ceremonies, from the Moment of Birth Till the Hour of Death |chapter=Appendix |quote=V. Moosulman [Muslim] Cookery, (including the various Dishes alluded to in this Work). 1. Polaoos {{Lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|پلاؤ}}}}. ... {{Lang|ur-Latn|Kofta Polaoo}} {{Lang|ur|{{Nastaliq|کوفتہ پلاؤ}}}}. |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0ONkAAAAcAAJ&pg=PR30 |quote-pages=xxvii, xxx}}</ref> and then by [[James Wise (civil surgeon)|James Wise]] in 1883.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Wise |first=James |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ba8Ov8huExoC&pg=PA97 |title=Notes on the Races, Castes and Trades of Eastern Bengal |date=1883 |publisher=[[Harrison and Sons]] |location=London, England |pages=97 |language=en |chapter=Nán-baí, Roṭi-wálah |quote=[The {{Lang|ur-Latn|Nān-bā{{rhr}}ī}}{{'s}}] bill of fare includes a delicious, richly-flavoured curry, Kofta, or pounded meat, roasts, and puláos. ... Koftá—hashed or pounded, and fried in Ghí. |author-link=James Wise (civil surgeon)}}</ref> The languages of the region of the kofta's origin have adopted the word with minor phonetic variations.<ref name=":8" /> In other languages, similar foods are called croquettes, dumplings, meatballs, rissoles, and turnovers.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":1" /><!-- no list, WP:NOT is not a multilingual dictionary-->

==History==
The [[Ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] cookbook ''[[Apicius]]'' included many meatball-type recipes.<ref>Sally Grainger, ''Cooking Apicius: Roman Recipes for Today'', Prospect Books, 2006, {{ISBN|1-903018-44-7}}, p. 17-18</ref>

The first appearance of recipes for kofta are in the earliest Arab cookbooks.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Brown|first=Ellen|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1139766078|title=Meatballs : the ultimate cookbook|year=2020|publisher=Cider Mill Press|isbn=978-1-64643-014-7|edition=First|location=Kennebunkport, Maine|pages=11|oclc=1139766078}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book|last=Davidson|first=Alan|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/890807357|title=The Oxford Companion to Food|others=Tom Jaine, Soun Vannithone|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-967733-7|edition=3rd|location=New York, NY|page=448|oclc=890807357}}</ref> The earliest recipes are for large ground lamb meatballs triple-glazed in a mixture of [[saffron]] and egg yolk.<ref name=":0" /> This glazing method spread to the West, where it is referred to as "gilding" or "endoring".<ref name=":8" /> Koftas moved to India; according to [[Alan Davidson (food writer)|Alan Davidson]], Nargisi Kofta was served at the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] court.<ref name=":8" />

Koftas are found from the Indian subcontinent through Central Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, and northern Africa.<ref name=":8" /> Koftas are found in the traditional cuisines of [[Armenian cuisine|Armenia]],<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Tsaturyan |first=Ruzanna |date=23 June 2017 |title=A culinary conflict in the South Caucasus |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/culinary-conflict-south-caucasus-karabakh/ |access-date=2021-08-24 |website=[[OpenDemocracy]] |language=en}}</ref> [[Afghan cuisine|Afghanistan]],<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Dea|first=Cynthia|date=2015-03-09|title=Where to Find the Best Meatballs in Los Angeles|url=https://www.kcet.org/food-discovery/food/where-to-find-the-best-meatballs-in-los-angeles|access-date=2021-08-24|website=[[KCET]]|language=en}}</ref> [[Albanian cuisine|Albania]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina cuisine|Bosnia and Herzegovina]], [[Bulgarian cuisine|Bulgaria]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Georgian cuisine|Georgia]],<ref name=":6" /> [[Lebanese cuisine|Lebanon]], [[Palestinian cuisine|Palestine]], [[Syrian cuisine|Syria]], [[Egyptian cuisine|Egypt]],<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":6" /> [[Greek cuisine|Greece]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Indian cuisine|India]],<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":42">{{cite book|last1=Achaya|first1=K. T.|url=https://archive.org/details/IndianFoodTraditionAHistoricalCompanionAchayaK.T./page/n91|title=Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion|date=December 1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=0195644166|pages=54}}</ref> [[Iranian cuisine|Iran]], [[Moroccan cuisine|Morocco]],<ref name=":8" /> [[Pakistani cuisine|Pakistan]],<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=Fatima|first=Bushra|date=2015-06-30|title=Pakistanis' love for the succulent kofta curry|url=http://tribune.com.pk/article/28384/pakistanis-love-for-the-succulent-kofta-curry|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710044838/https://tribune.com.pk/article/28384/pakistanis-love-for-the-succulent-kofta-curry|archive-date=10 July 2020|access-date=2020-07-05|website=The Express Tribune|language=en}}</ref> [[Romanian cuisine|Romania]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chiftele {{!}} Traditional Meatballs From Romania|url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/chiftele|access-date=2021-08-24|website=[[Atlas Media]]}}</ref> [[Serbian cuisine|Serbia]], [[Macedonian cuisine|North Macedonia]], and [[Turkish cuisine|Turkey]].<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last=Akın|first=Engin|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/921994379|title=Essential Turkish cuisine : 200 recipes for small plates and family meals|publisher=Stewart, Tabori & Chang, an imprint of Abrams|others=Helen Cathcart|year=2015|isbn=978-1-61312-871-8|location=New York|page=67|oclc=921994379}}</ref> Kofta is also a popular dish among [[Assyrian people]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Edelstein |first=Sari |title=Food, Cuisine, and Cultural Competency for Culinary, Hospitality, and Nutrition Professionals |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers |year=2010 |isbn=9781449618117 |page=594 |quote=}}</ref> In [[Turkey]], it is "a preferred offering at communal gatherings of all kinds", according to Engin Akin.<ref name=":5" /> In [[Armenia]] and [[Azerbaijan]], it is, along with [[dolma]], [[lavash]], [[Harissa (dish)|harissa]], [[kebab]]s, and [[Baklava|pahlava]], a dish of "clearly symbolic ethnic significance" often argued over by [[Gastronationalism|gastronationalists]] attempting to claim it as one of their own country's traditional dishes that has been co-opted by the other country.<ref name=":6" />

==Cooking methods==
The basic Ingredient of koftas is usually meat, but they are known for their versatility. There are many different ways to prepare it, like frying, baking, steaming, boiling, or grilling.<ref>Baboian, Rose. Armenian Cooking: Today's Version of Ancient Cuisine. Hippocrene Books, 1984.</ref> In traditional preparation methods, kofta is kneaded with fine [[bulgur]] and meat, and in some middle eastern countries it is served with the raw meat in the kneaded form.

==Innovative fillings and sizes==
With the inventive fillings that frequently enhance the flavor profile, koftas provide plenty of opportunity for creative culinary experimentation. Often added into the kofta mixture are nuts, cheese, or eggs.<ref>Petrosian, Irina, and David Underwood. Armenian Food: Fact, Fiction & Folklore. University of California Press, 2006.</ref> Furthermore, koftas come in a broad range of shapes and sizes, from little oval shaped egg size balls to flatly carved rhombuses in trays, or tennis ball sized koftas. In addition to satisfying personal tastes, this variation in size and shape enables creative display and serving possibilities.

==Variations==
Generally meat is mixed with spices and often other ingredients such as rice, [[bulgur]], vegetables, or eggs to form a paste.<ref name=":8" /> They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked, or marinated, and may be served with a rich spicy sauce or in a soup or stew.<ref name=":8" /> Koftas are sometimes made from [[Fish (food)|fish]] or vegetables or even cottage cheese  rather than red meat.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Abdel Fattah|first1=Iman Adel|title=Bites Fil Beit: Koftet el Gambari – Shrimp kofta|url=http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/12/05/bites-fil-beit-koftet-el-gambari-shrimp-kofta/|website=Daily News Egypt|access-date=19 April 2015|date=5 December 2013|archive-date=3 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503022013/http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/12/05/bites-fil-beit-koftet-el-gambari-shrimp-kofta/|url-status=live}}</ref> Some versions are stuffed with nuts, cheese, or eggs.<ref name=":8" /> Generally the size can vary from the "size of an orange to the size of a golf ball",<ref name=":22" /> although some variants are outside that range; ''tabriz köftesi'', which average {{Convert|20|cm|in|0}} in diameter, are the largest.<ref name=":8" /> They can be shaped in various forms<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Herbst|first=Ron|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/909914756|title=The deluxe food lover's companion|date=2015|others=Sharon Tyler Herbst|publisher=Barron's|isbn=978-1-4380-7621-8|edition=2nd|location=Hauppauge, New York|pages=261–262|oclc=909914756}}</ref> including [[patties]], balls, or cylinders.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Başan|first=Ghillie|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1202053063|title=The Turkish cookbook : exploring the food of a timeless cuisine|year=2021|publisher=Lorenz Books|isbn=978-0-7548-3515-8|location=[London]|oclc=1202053063}}</ref> Some versions are uncooked.<ref name=":0" />

==Examples==
<!--Includes only current articles or plausible redlinks (which require at least one instance of significant coverage in a reliable source to include here)-->
* [[Chiftele]], a [[Romanian cuisine|Romanian]] version using ground pork mixed with mashed potatoes.
* [[Çiğ köfte]], a [[Turkish cuisine|Turkish]] and [[Armenian cuisine|Armenian]] version made with [[bulgur]] and raw meat, often without raw meat due to health hazards.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cetinkaya |first=Figen |last2=Mus |first2=Tulay Elal |last3=Cibik |first3=Recep |last4=Levent |first4=Belkis |last5=Gulesen |first5=Revasiye |date=2012-07-01 |title=Assessment of microbiological quality of cig kofte (raw consumed spiced meatball): Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956713512000023 |journal=Food Control |volume=26 |issue=1 |pages=15–18 |doi=10.1016/j.foodcont.2012.01.001 |issn=0956-7135|url-access=subscription }}</ref>
* [[Mercimek köftesi]], Turkish vegan kofta made with bulgur and [[lentil]]s.
* Orkh or Oruq an Armenian and Syrian version made with meat and bulgur usually baked or gently fried and served in cylindrical shapes.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fJQMYB8nLc #kabab #orekh #antableh #armenian #food #recipe #homemade- Youtube]</ref>
* [[Ćufte]], a [[Bosnian cuisine|Bosnian]], [[Croatian cuisine|Croatian]] and [[Serbian cuisine|Serbian]] style of kofta, typically made from ground beef or ground lamb, and served with a side of cooked potatoes and a salad.
* [[İnegöl köfte]], a Turkish style of kofta.
* [[Islama köfte]], a steamed kofta from Turkey.
* [[Kibbeh]], a [[Middle Eastern cuisine|Middle Eastern]] dish in which includes kofte, sometimes served raw.
* [[Analı kızlı soup|Analı kızlı]], a Turkish soup.
* Kofte Chawal, an [[South Asian cuisine|Indian subcontinental]] dish that has meat or vegetable balls in a [[curry]] sauce and is served with rice. There are many variations using different ingredients for the balls, such as kofta curries made with [[paneer]], [[bottle gourd]], [[Chicken as food|chicken]] or [[mutton]].<ref name=":22" />
* Koofteh Berenji, Koofteh Hamedani, Koofteh Nar, [[Koofteh Tabrizi]] and Koofteh Shirin-e Kermanshahi are all [[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]] variants of kofta.<ref>{{cite web |title=طرز تهیه کوفته و انواع آن در شهرهای ایران |url=https://www.kojaro.com/2020/8/26/190634/iranian-meatball-recipe/ |website=Kojaro }}</ref>
* Malai kofta<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indianhealthyrecipes.com/malai-kofta-recipe/|title=Malai Kofta Recipe|website=Swasthi's Recipes|date=27 August 2017 }}</ref>
* [[Nargesi kebab|Nargisi Kofta]], an [[South Asian cuisine|Indian subcontinental]] dish in which a hard-boiled egg is wrapped in the kofta mixture.<ref name=":8" />
* Pishtha, a meatball mentioned in the ''[[Sushruta Samhita|Sushrutha Samhita]]''.<ref name=":42" />
* [[Şiş köfte]], a Turkish kebab-style kofta.
* [[Sulu köfte]], a Turkish kofta soup or stew.
* [[Tabriz köftesi]], an [[Azerbaijani cuisine|Azerbaijani]] version unusual for its average diameter of {{Convert|20|cm|in|0}}.<ref name=":8" />
* [[Tatarsko kyufte]], a [[Bulgaria]]n-[[Tatars in Bulgaria|Tatar]] version of kofta.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Татарско кюфте |url=https://matekitchen.com/recipes/tatarsko-kyufte/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |website=MateKitchen |language=bg-BG}}</ref>
* [[Tomatokeftedes]], a [[Greek cuisine|Greek]] vegetarian version of kofta which uses tomatoes.<ref>Aglaia Kremezi and Anissa Hellou, 'What's in the Name of the Dish' in Richard Hosking (ed.), ''Food and Language: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2009'' (London: Prospect Books, 2010) 206</ref>
* [[Koftet el hati]], an Egyptian kofta-dish consisting of grilled ground meat skewers seasoned with a blend spices such as cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, combined with fresh herbs like parsley.
* [[Koftet rozz]], an Egyptian kofta-dish consisting of spiced meatballs made from a blend of minced meat, crushed rice, and fresh herbs, simmered in a rich, flavorful tomato-based sauce.
* [[Ktzitzot Khubeza]], an [[Israeli cuisine|Israeli]] kofta made of mallow, garlic and bread crumbs mixed with egg whites and yolks.
* Küfte, кюфте in [[Crimean Tatar cuisine|Crimean Tatar]] cuisine (Crimea, Ukraine).
* [[Meatball]], as commonly known in America.
<gallery widths="175" heights="150" ;="" class="center">
File:MalaiKofta.jpg|''[[Malai]] Kofta'', a dish common in the [[South Asian cuisine|cuisine of the Indian subcontinent]]
File:Koofteh tabrizi.jpg|alt=Three eight-inch meatballs in sauce|[[Iranian cuisine|Iranian]] ''Tabrizi Kofta'' include [[Split pea|yellow split peas]] and potatoes, as well as minced meat.
File:Kofte Chawal from India.jpg|alt=Sauced meatballs with rice|''Kofte Chawal'' from [[Indian cuisine|India]] (vegetarian kofta made with Bottle Gourd), served with rice
File:Mixed grill - Khan el-Khalili - Cairo, Egypt.jpg| Egyptian [[koftet el hati]] on a mixed grill platter, served with [[tehina]]
File:Cuisine arménienne - Sini Kofte (à gauche) et deux Mitchougov Kofte (à droite).jpg|Armenian types of kofte
File:Orkh-Oruq.jpg|Orkh Armenian Kofta made with meat and bulgur served in cylindrical shapes
File:NargisiKofta.jpg|[[Nargesi kebab|Nargesi kofta]], a popular dish in [[Lucknow]] and [[Karachi]]
File:Mercimekkoftesi.jpg| [[Mercimek köftesi]], Turkish plant-based kofta made with lentils and bulgur
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Wiktionary-inline}}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[List of meatball dishes]]
* [[Kebab]], a class of meat dishes in or with which kofta is often grouped
* ''[[Bobotie]]''
* ''[[Ćevapi]]''
* ''[[Ćufte]]''
* ''[[Falafel]]''
* ''[[Frikadeller]]''
* ''[[Hamburg steak]]''
* ''[[Kabab koobideh]]''
* ''[[Mititei]]''
* ''[[Salisbury steak]]''
* ''[[Scotch egg]]''
* ''[[Shami kebab]]''
* ''[[Shish taouk]]''
* ''[[Yuvarlakia]]''
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

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