History

Kyufte (from Persian kufteh, via Ottoman Turkish) is the round counterpart to kebapche's finger shape. Bulgarian kyufte uses pork plus a higher proportion of onion, which keeps it juicy on the grill. Often served with chips, lyutenitsa and pickled vegetables, the dish is the standard pairing with kebapche on Plovdiv mehana grills through summer.

Common allergens: Gluten (breadcrumb binder)

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 2 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 500g minced pork shoulder
  • 1 small onion, finely grated
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried savory
  • 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg
  • Salt, pepper

Method

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix by hand until smooth.
  2. Refrigerate 2 hours for flavours to settle.
  3. Divide into 8 portions; shape each into a flat disc 8 cm wide.
  4. Heat a charcoal grill or heavy pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Grill 4 minutes per side until cooked through and the surface has caught.
  6. Serve with lyutenitsa, fries and shopska salad.

Tip from the editors. Grate the onion rather than chopping; the juice keeps the kyufte tender on the grill.

Where to eat kyufte

Kyufte in Plovdiv

Stariyat Plovdiv ★ 4.3

Eastern European$$kapanaMon-Sun 10:30-00:00Until 00:00

Stariyat Plovdiv runs the charcoal grill until midnight. Kebapche, kyufte, shopska on the rooftop or in the courtyard; late-table Bulgarian classics.

Try: Charcoal kebapche and Bulgarian salads

ul. Frederic Joliot-Curie 6A, 4000 Plovdiv

Restaurant Alafrangite ★ 4.3

Traditional Bulgarian$$old-townMon-Sun 11:00-23:00

Restaurant Alafrangite occupies an 18th-century Revival house with a courtyard garden in Old Plovdiv. Bulgarian salads and meat dishes anchor the long menu.

Signature: Sarmi, Bulgarian salads

ul. Kiril Nektariev 13, 4000 Plovdiv

Odeon Restaurant ★ 4.1

Bulgarian$$old-townMon-Sun 11:30-23:00

Odeon Hotel-Restaurant on Otets Paisiy serves classic Bulgarian cooking with a covered courtyard, a few minutes' walk from the Old Town's southern gate.

Signature: Kavarma, Kebapche

ul. Otets Paisiy 40, 4000 Plovdiv

Skara Kebapche Knyaz ★ 4.0

Eastern European$centreMon-Sun 10:00-22:00

A central charcoal-grill counter does three kebapche with lyutenitsa and bread under 12 BGN. The Plovdiv student lunch staple, fast turn during peak hours.

Try: Three kebapche with lyutenitsa and bread

ul. Knyaz Alexander I 22, 4000 Plovdiv

More cities are in research. Want kyufte covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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