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Golden brown Cypriot koupes stacked on a wooden board with one split open showing spiced meat filling inside

Cypriot Koupes: Deep-Fried Shells, Spiced Meat Filling

Torpedo-shaped bulgur and semolina shells filled with cinnamon-spiced minced meat, deep-fried until crisp.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Calories: 534
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Shell
  • 400 g fine bulgur (No. 1)
  • 100 g fine semolina
  • 50 g plain flour
  • 1 onion, grated small (about 60 g)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • warm water about 300 ml; add more, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough feels dry
For the Filling
  • 500 g ground beef or half beef, half pork
  • 1 onion, finely chopped medium (about 120 g)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
For Frying
  • sunflower oil about 1 liter; enough to submerge the koupes by 5 to 6 cm

Method
 

Make the Filling
  1. Heat the olive oil in a 26 cm / 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft.
  2. Add the ground beef, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until no pink remains and the juices have mostly evaporated.
  3. Stir in the parsley, then remove from the heat. Let the filling cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, before you start filling the shells.
Make the Shell Dough
  1. Put the fine bulgur in a large bowl and cover with 300 ml warm water. Let it sit for 15 minutes until softened and most of the water is absorbed.
  2. Add the semolina, flour, grated onion, cinnamon, and salt to the bulgur. Knead by hand for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and holds together, adding water a tablespoon at a time if it feels dry.
Shape and Fry
  1. Wet your hands lightly. Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball, roughly 45 g, and roll it into an egg shape.
  2. Push your thumb into the center to make a hollow, turning the dough as you go to thin the walls without tearing them.
  3. Fill the hollow with 1 to 2 teaspoons of cooled meat filling. Pinch the opening closed and smooth the dough back into an egg shape, patching any cracks with a wet finger. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make about 18 to 20 koupes.
  4. Heat the sunflower oil in a 24 cm / 9.5-inch deep pot to 180 C / 350 F. Fry the koupes in batches of 5 to 6, without crowding the pot, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown and crisp.
  5. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Serve warm.

Notes

  • Cool the meat filling fully before stuffing the shells.
  • Keep oil at 180 C / 350 F, too hot and the shell burns before the inside heats through.
  • Fry in batches of 5 to 6 so the koupes have room to turn.
  • Dough should feel soft but not sticky, adjust with water or flour a little at a time.