If you’re one who prefers to follow a strict Lenten diet,
you might want to try this recipe which offers a unique blend of flavors.
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Some of St. Sarkis Women's Guild Members (L- R: Robyn, Joanne, Donna, Maro, Betty, Diane, and Noelle) |
The Women’s Guild of St. Sarkis Armenian Church inCharlotte, NC reserved one day to gather in the church’s kitchen and prepare a Lenten
recipe not known to many – Peanut Butter Kufteh. Since I’d posted this recipe a while back, I
was asked to ‘lead’ the project, meaning I would gather the ingredients, and
share the recipe. Easily done.
Once the ladies arrived, sleeves were rolled up and work
was begun. We had lots of fun while learning from each other in the process!
Yields about 24-30 kuftehs (depending on size)
Filling Ingredients:
21 oz. chunky (or smooth) peanut butter (3/4 of a 24-oz.
jar)
3 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. dried mint
¼ tsp. dried basil
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
½ tsp. salt
Outer Shell Ingredients:
2 ½ cups fine bulgur (#1 size)
1½ cups oatmeal
1½ cups farina (Cream of Wheat)
3 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried mint
¼ tsp. dried basil
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 ½ to 3 cups hot water
Mix all of the filling ingredients in the order listed
until well-blended. Set aside.
Outer Shell Directions:
Shell ingredients |
1. Mix together the bulgur, oatmeal, farina, flour, salt,
mint, basil, cayenne, and black pepper; add most of the hot water, stirring to
create a dough. Knead. If mixture is too dry, add a little more hot water. If mixture
becomes too wet, add a bit more flour or farina. The dough should not be too
sticky.
2. Take a ball of the dough the size of a golf ball. Make
an indentation in the center with your thumb and keep opening and shaping with
your index and middle finger. Press down in center and sides, rotating until
you get a thin shell.
3. Fill the shell with one tablespoon or more of the
filling. Seal the top and smooth with wet hands. (Keep a bowl of water handy to
dip your hands to ease this process.) Shape the kufteh so that it’s flat on the
bottom and slightly rounded on the top. If that’s too hard to master, keep the
shape round.
ROBYN'S NOTE ON SHAPING:
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Shaped kuftehs before boiling |
To make the shell as thin as possible, we lined a small
plate with plastic wrap, took a golf ball sized piece of the 'dough', flattened
it into a circle by hand, then gently lifted it off the plastic - while trying
not to break it. You really do have to keep a small bowl of water to dip your
hands into for this process. The water helps 'glue' the outer shell together.
After placing a spoonful of filling in the center, gently encase the filling with the outer
shell. Finally, smooth the surface with wet fingers, making sure the kufteh is
flat on the bottom and slightly rounded on the top.
4. Place shaped kutfehs on a waxed paper-lined tray or
plate, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. While the kuftehs chill, boil water in a large pot with
some salt.
6. Remove kuftehs from the refrigerator, and boil, in small
batches, for about 10 minutes until all are cooked. Serve immediately.
If you prefer, after the kuftehs are boiled, place them on
a paper towel-lined tray and pat dry. Lightly oil the tops of each kufteh. Bake
in a preheated 350°F oven for a few minutes or until the tops are lightly
browned.
Serve with tahini sauce, if desired. (See recipe below)
To freeze the kufteh: After
kufteh is boiled, cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic wrap to prevent
them from sticking together, and store them in a freezer storage bag.
To defrost and reheat:
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Boil some lightly salted water; reduce
to a gentle boil. Add kufteh without crowding, and heat for about 5 minutes.
Or, follow the instructions above for heating in the oven.
Tahini Sauce
Ingredients:
1–2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tahini paste, well-stirred
¼ to ½ cup freshly
squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup cold water, more if needed
Optional Garnish: 1/4 cup freshly chopped flat-leaf
Italian parsley, thick stems removed
Directions:
Using a garlic press, crush the garlic cloves. Place on a
plate and mash with salt create a paste.
Add the mashed garlic, tahini paste and ¼ cup of lime juice
to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a little bit of
water and blend again. Taste to see if you need to add more lime juice. If the
consistency is thicker than you’d like, add more water until you reach the
desired consistency.
NOTE: Tahini sauce will thicken as it emulsifies.
Transfer the tahini to a serving bowl, and garnish with fresh
chopped parsley, if you wish.