Lamb Kofta with Garlic Sauce

by Nigella. Featured in AT MY TABLE

Introduction

These are rather like Eastern Mediterranean meatballs in sausage form, though you can come across them as fat burger-like patties, too. As loose-packed sausages, they’re formed around skewers and turned over an open flame. Since I rarely use a barbecue, but just stare at it being rained on in the garden, I simply fry them in a pan. And much as I like the long lollipop approach, I can’t make a skewer fit in the frying pan, so sausages — albeit highly seasoned and juicy sausages — it is.

I don’t wish to be too prescriptive as to how you should eat them, but I roughly chop some tomatoes and parsley and mix them together in a bowl, to be brought to the table along with some shredded iceberg lettuce and an eye-poppingly intense garlic sauce. Eat them, hot-dog-style, wrapped in warm flatbread.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

As featured in

Photo by David Ellis

AT MY TABLE

2017

Buy Now

Image of Nigella's Lamb Kofta with Garlic Sauce — Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

As featured in

Photo by David Ellis

AT MY TABLE

2017

Buy Now

Ingredients

Serves: 4-5

Metric Cups

FOR THE KOFTA

500 grams minced lamb
1 (approx. 150g) onion (peeled and coarsely grated)
2 fat cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt flakes
3 x 15ml tablespoons finely chopped flatleaf parsley leaves
3 x 15ml tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 x 15ml tablespoons regular olive oil

FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE

400 grams Greek yoghurt
4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice
2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons dried mint

TO SERVE

Tomatoes
Iceberg lettuce
Flatbreads

FOR THE KOFTA

1 pound ground lamb
¾ cup onions (peeled and coarsely grated)
2 fat cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons regular olive oil

FOR THE GARLIC SAUCE

1 ⅔ cup Greek yoghurt
4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 3 x 15ml tablespoons of juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons dried mint

TO SERVE

Tomatoes
Iceberg lettuce
Flatbreads

Method

Put all the kofta ingredients — barring the oil — into a large bowl and, with dampened hands and a light touch, mix everything together. While you need everything to be thoroughly combined, it’s important not to make a dense, compact mixture.
Line a small baking sheet with cling film, and form 2 heaped-tablespoons of the mixture into a sausage shape, then slightly flatten the sides as this will help them cook more evenly when you fry them. Transfer them onto the lined baking sheet as you go — you should get about 10 kofta.
Cover the baking sheet with cling film and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the kofta firm up a little. While you’re waiting, stir the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and dried mint together. Your sauce is now made.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the kofta — over a highish heat — for 5 or so minutes each side until just cooked all the way through. Be gentle as you turn them over, so as not to break them up.
Serve with the garlic sauce, salad and flatbreads, as wished.

Put all the kofta ingredients — barring the oil — into a large bowl and, with dampened hands and a light touch, mix everything together. While you need everything to be thoroughly combined, it’s important not to make a dense, compact mixture.
Line a small baking sheet with cling film, and form 2 heaped-tablespoons of the mixture into a sausage shape, then slightly flatten the sides as this will help them cook more evenly when you fry them. Transfer them onto the lined baking sheet as you go — you should get about 10 kofta.
Cover the baking sheet with cling film and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes so that the kofta firm up a little. While you’re waiting, stir the yogurt, garlic, lemon zest and juice, salt and dried mint together. Your sauce is now made.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the kofta — over a highish heat — for 5 or so minutes each side until just cooked all the way through. Be gentle as you turn them over, so as not to break them up.
Serve with the garlic sauce, salad and flatbreads, as wished.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
It is not advisable to make ahead but you can refrigerate leftover kofta, within 2 hours of cooking, in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat cold. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated and stored for up to 2 days in a tightly sealed container.

FREEZE:
Leftover cooked and chilled kofta can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge and eat cold.