Kofta is like a flavourful meatball that’s enjoyed in many different cuisines, from the Balkans to the Middle East, North Africa, and even parts of Asia. It’s basically minced meat that’s infused with some wonderful spices and herbs.
While the classic way to cook these is by shaping them on a skewer and grilling them over fire, we’re going to keep things simple and cook them in a regular frying pan. If you’re having a hard time tracking down minced lamb in your neck of the woods, worry not. You can easily swap it out for beef mince without losing out on the fantastic taste.
Once your koftas are ready, it’s time to serve them up. Place these tasty meatballs into soft flatbread. Then spread on the tangy garlic sauce. And don’t forget about the tomatoes – they’re juicy and add a burst of flavour. Lastly, you’ve got some crunchy iceberg lettuce to complete the dish.
When you put all of these things together, you get a wrap that’s full of different flavours and textures.
It’s a really satisfying bite that combines all these tasty elements into one.
Middle Eastern Style Lamb Kofta
For the Kofta
- 500g minced lamb (or beef)
- 1 onion (peeled and grated)
- 2 garlic (peeled and grated)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp sea salt
- Small bunch flatleaf parsley (finely chopped)
- Small bunch fresh mint (finely chopped)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the sauce
- 500g Greek yoghurt
- 4 cloves garlic (peeled and grated)
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp fresh mint
To serve
- 6 tomatoes (chopped)
- Small bunch of parsley (chopped)
- 1 Iceberg lettuce (shredded)
- Flatbread
Directions
- Put all the kofta ingredients, apart from the oil, into a large bowl and gently mix everything together.
- Line a small baking sheet with greaseproof paper, then take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into your hands and roll in to ball. Then shape the ball into something more similar toa small sausage, and finally slightly flatten each of the koftas to help them evenly cook. Transfer them onto the baking sheet as you go.
- Put the kofta into the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow them to firm up. They could be left over night if you are making ahead.
- To make the sauce, take a small bowl and stir the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest (and juice), salt and mint. Set aside.
- Mix the tomatoes and parsley together in a bowl and set aside.
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the kofta one by one and fry for 5 minutes over a high heat, then turn them over and fry for another 5 minutes till cooked all the way through.
- Place two or three kofta into each flat bread and generously pour over the garlic sauce. Garnish with tomatoes and iceberg lettuce.
