How to Make Middle Eastern Lamb Koftas (Step-by-Step Recipe)

 

 
I have never been to the Middle East, but I do have a great love for Middle Eastern Foods.  This started when I was living and working down in Kent. My boss's daughter regularly brought food with her from Ottolenghi when she came down on the weekends. Ottolenghi was a Middle Eastern Restaurant in London.  The food and its flavors were always very impressive. I found myself buying his first cookbook, simply entitled Ottolenghi so that I could enjoy some of this food at home.

I further fell in love with it when I was treated to a meal out at Comptoir Libanais. This was a Middle Eastern Restaurant in Ellesmere Port. It was quite simply lovely!

The recipe I am sharing with you today is for a simple Lamb Kofta. They are juicy, herby and loaded with fresh Middle Eastern flavors!

 

What you have here is tender ground lamb, blended with fresh herbs, onion, garlic and a mix of warm spices. Shaped and then baked to juicy perfection in tiny oblong shapes.  Traditionally they would be shaped around wooden or metal skewers and cooked over a grill. They might even be served in warmed pita breads with salad and a garlic sauce.

I made do with what I had to hand, with delicious results.

These were served simply with some couscous, roasted vegetables and a simple and easy to make houmous sauce.  I sprinkled a bit of feta over top as I had some which needed using up.  Altogether this was a brilliant combination that we both fell in love with.

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB KOFTAS

There is nothing really complicated about this dish.  Trust me on this. Simple ingredients put together to maximize flavors and eating pleasure.

• 1/2-pound (227g) ground lamb
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1 fat clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1 TBS plain, full fat yogurt
• 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
• 2 TBS chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt and white pepper to taste
• feta cheese crumbles to sprinkle

For the houmous sauce:

• 6 TBS prepared houmous
• 1 1/2 TBS tahini
• 3 TBS full fat mayonnaise
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp water
• salt and black pepper to taste

 

If you are not a fan of lamb feel free to use another ground meat. Ground lamb is readily available at my local grocery store.

I used a white onion.  The coarse holes on a box grater grate this perfectly. Make sure you catch all of the juices as well as there is a lot of flavor in them.

You can grate the garlic if you want it to be finer.

If you don't have fresh herbs you can use dried.  They have a more pronounced concentrated flavor so only use half as much. I prefer fresh herbs if I can get them.

I used plain prepared houmous to make the sauce. Tahini, which is sesame paste, can be found in the international aisle. 

I grate the garlic for the sauce so that nobody ends up biting down on a chunk of garlic. Raw garlic can be very strong.

 

HOW TO MAKE

MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB KOFTAS

These go together very easily and quickly.  This makes for a very simple meal. 

1. Whisk all of the ingredients for the houmous sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside. (This can be done a day ahead if you wish. Cover and refrigerate.)
2. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a medium baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
3. Crumble the lamb into a bowl. Add the yogurt, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, coriander and all of the spices.
4. Lightly mix together until well combined. 
5. Divide into six and shape into ovals. Place onto the baking sheet. (Try not to be too forceful in compacting it so that the mixture stays light.)
6. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. 160*F/71*C on a meat thermometer.
7. Serve hot with couscous and the tahini humous sauce. Sprinkle feta cheese crumbles over top. I added some roasted veggies, but rice and flatbreads also go as would a nice salad on the side.

 

WHAT TO SERVE

WITH MIDDLE EASTER LAMB KOFTAS

On this occasion I served them with a delicious humous tahini sauce, feta crumbles, couscous and some roasted carrots and zucchini. 

Basmati rice goes well, as does toasted pita bread.  A fresh chopped salad with cucumber, tomato, onion and parsley also goes very well. Try using a zesty lemon dressing on the salad.

Garlic yogurt also tastes good with this.  You can add roasted potatoes or a Mediterranean grain bowl for the heartier eater.

 

FREQUENTLY

ASKED QUESTIONS

DO I NEED TO USE LAMB?

Not at all. Feel free to use beef, turkey or chicken. The cook times will differ slightly, however.  Also, turkey and chicken tend to dry out if cooked too long so bear that in mine.

DO I NEED TO COOK THIS IN THE OVEN?

You can also cook this on a hot grill, either gas or electric. In this case I would wrap the meat around a skewer for easy turning so that it cooks evenly.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED TO MAKE MORE SERVINGS?

Absolutely!  

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

Yes. Simply pop into an airtight freezer container.  It can be kept frozen for up to three months.

HOW DO I REHEAT ANY LEFTOVERS?

Reheat gently in a skillet over medium heat. Adding a splash of water will help to keep them moist.

 

A FEW OTHER

MIDDLE EASTERN DISHES

TO ENJOY

I came to really enjoy Middle Eastern Food when I lived in the U.K. Here are a few favorite and delicious dishes that I learned to make at home.

BAKED SPICED KIBBEE - A delicious middle eastern spiced meat dish, typically served as an appetizer. You can shape it into small shapes or just bake it in a square pan like I have on this occasion. Scored before baking it very easily separates into small diamonds. We like to enjoy it as a main course.

TAGINE OF CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS & MINT - Traditionally this would be cooked in a clay pot called a tagine.  Failing that a good casserole with a lid works just fine! This is a fruity and delicious Moroccan spiced chicken stew loaded with lovely flavors and textures.  Dried Apricots and mint really add some delicious flavors. Fabulous served with rice or couscous.

  

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Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Lamb Koftas

Prep time: 13 MinCook time: 11 MinTotal time: 24 Min

Middle Eastern Lamb Patties, not too spicy and well flavored. Normally served on skewers, but for this small batch recipe I have chosen to make smallish patties instead. Serve with Couscous and veggies.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (227g) ground lamb
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
• 1 fat clove garlic, peeled and finely minced
• 1 TBS plain, full fat yogurt
• 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
• 2 TBS chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt and white pepper to taste
• feta cheese crumbles to sprinkle

For the houmous sauce:

• 6 TBS prepared houmous
• 1 1/2 TBS tahini
• 3 TBS full fat mayonnaise
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and grated
• 2 tsp water
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk all of the ingredients for the houmous sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6. Line a medium baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
3. Crumble the lamb into a bowl. Add the yogurt, grated onion, minced garlic, parsley, coriander and all of the spices.
4. Lightly mix together until well combined.
5. Divide into six and shape into ovals. Place onto the baking sheet.
6. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. 160*F/71*C on a meat thermometer.
7. Serve hot with couscous and the tahini humous sauce. Sprinkle feta cheese crumbles over top. I added some roasted veggies, but rice and flatbreads also go as would a nice salad on the side.

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