Can I make these in advance?

You can! You can make and form the koftas, then store them in the fridge in sealed containers a day before you're ready to cook them. You can also brown them in your skillet, before storing in the fridge and finishing them off in the oven when you're ready to serve them. They'll last for 5 days in the fridge once cooked.

Can I freeze the koftas?

Yes! The koftas freeze really well. You can either freeze them once cooked or freeze them raw. In both cases, arrange them on a lined tray and freeze until solid, then pop them into zip lock bags. You can defrost cooked koftas straight from frozen in the oven at 390F/200C for 25 minutes, or throw them into a sauce on the stove if you're using them that way. You'll need to defrost the raw koftas before cooking them, ideally overnight in the fridge.

I don't like lamb - can I use something else?

You can switch out the lamb for beef, chicken or even turkey mince. Or you could use half lamb and half beef if that works for you.

How spicy are the koftas?

They have a little bit of heat from the chilli flakes, but it's a small amount in comparison to the other spices. I've labelled it as optional in the recipe so if you're worried about it just leave it out.

Lamb Koftas with Tahini Yogurt Sauce

Name: Lamb Koftas with Tahini Yogurt Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: middle eastern
Ingredients: ½ a shallot (or white onion); 1lb/500g ground lamb mince; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sumac (optional); ½ teaspoon chilli flakes (optional); ½ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; ¼ cup finely chopped mint; 3 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon sunflower/rapeseed oil (oil with a high smoking point, not olive oil); ½ cup plain, unsweetened or Greek yogurt; 2 tablespoons tahini; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 2 garlic cloves; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley; ½ teaspoon chilli flakes; 1 teaspoon dukkah; 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

Description

These super JUICY lamb koftas are the perfect centrepiece for a barbecue or Middle Eastern-style feast. Served with a zingy yogurt tahini sauce and cooked quickly in one skillet, they make the ultimate easy and delicious dish you’re going to love.

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the lamb koftas –

1/2 a shallot (or white onion)
1lb/500g ground lamb mince
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sumac (optional)
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped mint
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sunflower/rapeseed oil (oil with a high smoking point, not olive oil)

For the tahini yogurt dressing –

1/2 cup plain, unsweetened or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

To garnish (optional) –

1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 teaspoon dukkah
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds

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Instructions

Start by finely dicing the shallot (or onion). To do this, with the root facing away from you, slice thin strips down the shallot, without cutting through the root. Carefully make cuts through the cross-section of the shallot in the opposite direction. Then cut down the shallot from the top. This way you’ll easily get finely diced pieces.
Mix the koftas. Add your lamb, the diced shallot, 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cinnamon, smoked paprika, salt, sumac if you’re using it, ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes if you’re using them, ½ cup of finely chopped flat-leaf parsley and ¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves into a large mixing bowl. Using a Microplane or fine side of a grater, grate the 3 garlic cloves straight into the bowl with the other ingredients. You can use a garlic press here if you prefer. There’s no getting around it – the best way to make sure everything is mixed well is to get your hands in there and scrunch the mixture together. You can wear disposable gloves if you have them. Mix until everything is well combined.
Shape the koftas. Get a large plate ready. Wet your hands (this makes it easier to form the koftas without the mix sticking to your hands). Pick up about a tablespoon of the mixture, and form into a small oval shape in your hands. Pop on the plate and repeat with the remaining mixture. You should get 15 koftas from the mix. It helps at this point to refrigerate the koftas for around 30 minutes just so they have a chance to firm up before cooking. Heat the oven to 390F/200Cfan.
Make the tahini yogurt sauce. Add ½ a cup of yogurt, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt to a small bowl. Again using a Microplane, small grater or garlic press, grate the 2 garlic cloves directly into the bowl. Mix vigorously with a fork until a smooth, creamy sauce forms. Set aside.
Cook the koftas. Remove the koftas from the fridge and get a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of rapeseed/sunflower oil, then add the koftas to the skillet. Depending on the size of your skillet, you might need to do this in batches. Cook them for 5 minutes on each side, until they’re golden brown. Try not to move them until they naturally release from the pan – if you go to rotate them and feel like they’re sticking, they’re not ready to turn. Once they’re brown all over, pop the skillet in the oven for 4 minutes. This way of cooking them makes sure you get that lovely crispy, golden crust and koftas that are cooked through without being burnt.
Serve the koftas. Remove the skillet from the oven. To serve, spoon the yogurt tahini sauce onto a serving plate, then layer on the koftas. Finish with the optional garnishes of parsley, dukkah, chilli flakes and pomegranate seeds (or choose some of these rather than them all!). Eat right away.

Notes

If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the koftas in a regular pan and then transfer them to a lined oven tray to finish off in the oven.

PREP AHEAD: You can prepare the koftas up until you cook them the day before you’re planning to serve to get ahead. Just store them in containers in the fridge and then cook them when you’re ready. Alternatively, you can pan-fry the koftas, pop them in the fridge and then finish them off in the oven when you’re ready to serve.

FREEZING INSTRUCTIONS: They will also freeze well once cooked. You can then cook them straight from frozen in the oven at 200C/390F fan for 20 minutes, or throw them into a sauce and let them defrost as you’re cooking. You can also freeze the raw koftas. Get them on a lined tray in the freezer until solid, then store them in zip-lock bags. You’ll need to defrost them before using them, ideally in the fridge overnight.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: I love to pair them with creamy hummus, soft flatbreads, a Greek quinoa salad and some garlicky tzatziki for a lovely Middle-Eastern style feast.

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 16
Category: meat
Method: stove top
Cuisine: middle eastern

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3 koftas

Keywords: lamb meatballs, lamb kebabs