Lamb koftas are simply one of my favorite meals.
Whenever I’m feeling a lack of foodsperation they never fail to satisfy the taste
buds. They’re simple to cook and prepare and taste wonderful. I think the true
greatness in simple food, such as koftas, is that any leftovers can be easily frozen
and enjoyed at a later date. They are very versatile and can be served in so
many different ways; with pitta bread (my personal favorite), with a salad, in a
stew, and even barbequed. For this recipe I decided to stick to pitta and
accompany my koftas with a fresh herby tabbouleh. Tabbouleh is something that I
have always enjoyed and these days its blossomed into a full blown love
affair. The fresh herby taste lightens
any meal and is the perfect accompaniment to meat. It is also great served on
its own and makes a healthy lunchtime
snack.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Koftas
300g minced lamb
1 tbsp garamasala paste
1.5 tbsp roughly chopped pistachio nuts
1.5 tbsp runny honey
Tabbouleh
100g bulgur wheat
½ tsp allspice
1 medium tomato finely chopped
½ cucumber finely chopped
2 spring onions
1tbsp lemon juice
2 large handfuls of roughly chopped parsley
2 mint sprigs roughly chopped
1 handful of roughly chopped coriander
pinch of salt and pepper
Method
1.First things first, soak you
bulgur wheat in cool water for around 20mins. While this is soaking you can
start with the koftas. Place the mince and the garamasala paste into a mixing
bowl. With your hands, mix together making sure the paste is evenly
distributed.
2.Once this is mixed in, set
aside and wait for the bulgur wheat to finish soaking. After soaking is
complete, drain the water and put the wheat into a saucepan with cool water and
place on a medium heat for around 20mins.
3.Now you can go back to your
koftas, grab a small handful of lamb mix and shape into an oval about 3-4
inches long. You should be aiming to make around 10- 12. Once this is done,
place in a frying pan with a drizzle of oil on a medium heat and cook for
around 6mins on either side until they are a nice dark brown colour.
4.This should mean that the
bulgur wheat and koftas should be ready around the same time. The bulgur wheat should
be soft but retain a bit of a bite. Once cooked drain any leftover liquid and
place into a bowl with the roughly chopped herbs, cubed tomato, cubed cucumber,
finely chopped spring onions and and the spices, salt and pepper. Mix together
and squeeze the lemon juice over the mixture.
5.Once the koftas are done turn
the heat off, and into the pan add the chopped pistachios and honey. Stir in
well making sure they are completely coated.
6.Serve as you wish. An
accompaniment of pitta and coriander yoghurt is my personal fave.
