Koftas are a dish that are found in many cuisines, from Lebanese and Greek to Indian. Each country has it's own version of these delicious meat morsels.
I've used minced lamb in this recipe, but beef is sometimes used on it's own, and I've also seen recipes that prefer to use a combination of the two.
Spices and herbs also vary greatly, with the Greek koftas using oregano and aromatic spices such as allspice and cinnamon, rather than the more traditional mint and cumin.
If I'm serving Koftas as part of a mezze, then I also like to make taktouka - a delicious Middle Eastern warm pepper and tomato side, that is a perfect accompaniment.
Koftas are also lovely served with salad, dips such as tzatziki and hummus, either in or with flatbreads or pitas.
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
600g lamb mince
1 large white onion
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
1 teaspoon of paprika
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon of finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon of finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Seasoning
- Peel, then grate the onion.
- Peel and finely grate the garlic.
- Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. The best way to do this is using your hands to thoroughly combine the herbs and spices with the lamb mince.
- If time allows, cover the bowl and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
- Divide the mixture into 16 evenly sized pieces, then roll each piece into a ball, and then into ovals (as per the image).
- Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and once the oil is up to temperature, add the koftas.
- Cook the koftas until they are golden brown on all sides and cooked through. This usually takes 8-10 minutes.
To check if they are ready, take one out of the pan and cut in half.
