Koupes are a delicious Cypriot street food that is traditionally made of a bulgur wheat crust, which is then stuffed with a ground meat mixture. They are mainly consumed as savoury snacks throughout the year and they are readily available in most bakeries today. There are many homemade variations of this recipe, but this one tries to keep everything simple
HOW TO MAKE KOUPES
Ingredients:
1 cup of fine bulgur
1/2 cup of plain flower
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
500g of minced meat of choice
1 lemon
1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
Instructions:
In a large bowl, soak the bulgur in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and squeeze out any excess water.
Add the flour and kneed accordingly for around 10 minutes until the dough comes together.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and then add the chopped onion and sauté until soft and translucent.
Add the minced meat to the frying pan and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Add lemon zest & juice, parsley, cinnamon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and stir to combine with the meat and onions cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the mixture from the heat and let it cool.
Divide the dough into small balls and then place a little olive oil in the palm of your hands.
Press each ball flat and then place a generous amount of the meat mixture in the centre.
Fold the dough over to seal the filling inside, gently forming into an oval shape, pressing the edges together to seal.
When this process is complete, the koupes can be deep fried at 355°F (180°C) until golden brown or oven baked in a pre-heated oven at 375°F (190°C) for approximately 25 minutes
