Kofta Food

BEEF KAFTA

Steps:

• Place the parsley in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, remove and set aside.
• In the same food processor bowl used to chop the parsley, place the quartered onion and pulse until finely chopped. Drain the onions slightly to release excess moisture.
• Return the parsley back to the bowl of the food processor with the onions. Add the ground beef to the food processor in addition to all the spices. Run the food processor on pulse once or twice until ingredients are well combined and form a pasty meat mixture.
• Transfer the mixture from the food processor to a large bowl and form the Kafta into an oblong shape about 1 inch in thickness. You can form them on a wooden skewer or without.
• Grease the grates of a gas grill or indoor grill pan, and preheat it to medium high heat. When heated through, transfer the kafta to the grill. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side, depending on your preferred level of doneness.
• Serve hot off the grill with your choice of side.

LAMB KOFTAS

Steps:

• Mix together all the ingredients until well blended. Divide into eight balls, then roll each ball on a board with a cupped hand to turn them into ovals. Thread onto four metal skewers and brush with oil.
• To cook on a griddle: heat the pan until you can feel a good heat rising and cook for 3-4 mins each side. Don't turn until they are well sealed or the meat will stick to the grill or pan.
• Season if you want, and set aside. Serve the koftas with yogurt and spiced flat breads.

KOFTA CURRY

Steps:

• Put the minced beef or lamb into a large bowl, add all the remaining meatball ingredients and mix well with your hands. Roll the mixture into small balls and put aside on a floured plate until required.
• To make the curry sauce, heat the ghee or butter in a saucepan over a moderate heat and fry the chopped onion and garlic for about 10 minutes, or until the onion is soft and buttery.
• Reduce the heat, then add the curry powder and cardamom pods (or seeds) and cook for a few minutes, stirring well.
• Slowly stir in the stock, then add the tomato puree, yoghurt and coriander and stir well. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the koftas a few at a time, cook briefly and then add a few more, until all are in the pan. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the koftas are cooked. Avoid stirring, but gently shake the pan occasionally to move the koftas around.
• The curry should thicken slightly, but if it is too dry add more stock or water. Serve hot on rice, garnish with coriander.

MIDDLE EASTERN LAMB KOFTA

Steps:

• Place the nuts in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse until finely chopped but not pasty. Transfer the nuts to a small dry skillet over medium heat; cook, stirring frequently, until the nuts are lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes. Pour the nuts into mixing bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, and set aside to cool. (Don't leave the nuts in the pan, as the residual heat may cause them to burn.)
• Place the onion, garlic, bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro in the bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it first). Pulse until the vegetables are finely minced but not puréed. Set a fine sieve over a medium bowl. Transfer the minced vegetables to the sieve and use a rubber spatula to press out as much liquid as possible. Add the strained vegetable mixture to the bowl with the nuts.
• To the veggies and nuts, add the lamb, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, salt, and white pepper. Using your hands, mash the mixture together until evenly combined.
• Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Form the mixture into patties about 2 inches in diameter and ½-inch thick (they will puff up on the grill to look like meatballs). Place on the baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, then refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and oil the grates. Place the kofta on the grill and cook, covered, until browned, about 4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Serve with tzatziki and hummus.
• Note: If you like your kofta spicy, reserve some of the seeds from the jalapeño pepper and add them with the vegetables. Also, be sure to wash your hands well after handling hot peppers, and do not touch your eyes while working with them.
• Make-Ahead: The patties can be made and refrigerated up to two days ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The uncooked patties can be frozen for up to three months. (Freeze the patties on a baking sheet or plate so their shape sets, then transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easy storage.) Defrost the burgers overnight in the refrigerator prior to serving and then cook as directed.

LAMB KOFTAS WITH YOGHURT DRESSING

Steps:

• Yogurt Sauce: Combine the yogurt sauce ingredients and leave in fridge for at least 20 mninutes for the flavor to develop (overnight even better!).
• Koftas: Grate the onion into the bowl using a standard box grater. Add remaining Kofta ingredients and mix well with your hands.
• With damp hands, divide the meat into 8 equal pieces and push and shape the meat onto 8 skewers. Make them smooth (looks nicer, pictured!) or a bit nubbly (more surface area to brown!).

MIDDLE EASTERN MEATBALLS (KOFTA KEBABS)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Add all the ingredients except the beef into a bowl and stir well.
• Add in the beef and stir until just combined.
• Form into 1/4 cup meatballs (I use an ice cream scoop) onto your cast iron skillet or sheet pan.
• Cook for 15-18 minutes or until cooked through.

TURKISH MEATBALLS (KOFTA)

Steps:

• Make the bread crumbs by breaking up 2 slices of stale but not dried out whole wheat bread into the bowl of a food processor.
• Whizz until finely crumbed.
• Add the ground lamb and the egg, and process until blended.
• Add the spices, garlic and parsley.
• Process the meat well to achieve a fine texture.
• Roll the mixture into small meatballs (I use a melonballer) or finger shaped patties using dampened hands.
• You may cook them at once, or refrigerate the mixture for several hours.
• (If your meat is very fresh, you can divide it in half and wrap part well in plastic for the next day's meal.) Heat the oil in a heavy skillet, and fry the balls or patties until cooked through and evenly browned.
• The meatballs should be stirred several times, the patties turned once.
• Remove them with a slotted spoon to drain.
• Serve the meatballs hot or at room temperature as an appetizer.
• Lovely with a yogurt or tahini sauce, on a bed of rice or in a pita.

KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
• Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.

PAKISTANI BEEF KOFTA CURRY (MEATBALL CURRY)

Steps:

• Combine the onion, green chili pepper, cilantro leaves, and mint leaves (if using) in a food processor. Use the pulse function to chop so that the onions are finely chopped but not blended. You don't want the onions to break down too much and release water. Then add the rest of the ingredients listed under meatballs (including the meat) and process to combine for about 30 seconds or just until mixed.
• Using a bit of oil to grease your hands, form into meatballs about 1 ½ inch in diameter. It should make around 25 meatballs. Set aside.
• Rinse your food processor. Then use the pulse function again to chop the onion. Remove and set aside. Then chop the tomatoes and green chili pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large, heavy bottomed pan over high heat. Add the oil and whole spices, and allow them to sizzle for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring often, for 7-8 minutes, or until golden. Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic and ginger & sauté another 2 minutes, until the onions have deepened even more in color. Add the tomatoes and green chili pepper mixture, followed by the yogurt, spices and salt. Sauté for 4-5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the mixture.
• Add 2 cups water and raise the heat to bring to a boil. When the water comes to a boil, lower the heat to the lowest setting. Once it has stopped boiling, arrange the kofte in a single layer.
• Raise the heat to medium, cover and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and gently stir the kofte. Lower the heat to low-medium. Cover and allow it to simmer for another 35 minutes, stirring once in between, until cooked through.
• Sauté to evaporate water to make the kofte to desired consistency. Taste and add salt, if needed. Sprinkle in garam masala and cilantro. Serve hot, with hard-boiled eggs, if desired.

KOFTA KEBABS WITH TZATZIKI

Steps:

• Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.
• Line a pan with aluminum foil. Divide the meat mixture into 28 rough balls. Mold each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading them), making a 2-inch oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. Lay the skewers on the pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
• Heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat bread.
• If you're using plain whole milk yogurt, line a small sieve with a coffee filter. Put the yogurt in it, set it over a bowl, and refrigerate 12 hours. Discard the expressed liquid and put yogurt in the bowl.
• Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons salt and rub into the cucumber with your hands. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible.
• Smash the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

KOFTA: SPICED GROUND BEEF KEBAB RECIPE

Steps:

• Finely chop the onion and parsley. Time-saving Tip: Use a food processor.
• Add the ground beef to a large bowl and stir in the onions and parsley.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Form the beef mixture into small balls and place four or five balls onto a metal skewer.
• Shape the meat into a cigar shape on the skewer. Note: if you use wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for 30 minutes first to avoid them burning.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
• Bake the skewers for 45 minutes.
• Or if grilling, grill for 20 to 25 minutes or until done.
• Serve over a bed of white rice. Serving Suggestions: Kofta is often served on flatbread (without skewers) or pita bread . It is also common to see it served on a hot dog bun.

KOFTA KABOBS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, put the ground meat, flattened in the bowl, add all the ingredients. Knead for at least 5 minutes until all is well mixed. Let the kofta rest for 20 to 30 minutes in a cool place to marinate.
• Wet your hand with water. Take the kofta and make a big cigar. Put on a long skewer, in the center. Repeat skewering until done. Cook over a charcoal grill. Serve hot.

KOFTA KEBAB

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients into a large bowl, and knead well for 10 minutes.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 6 hours, kneading the mixture for 3 minutes every hour.
• Divide the meat into 12 equal portions and roll them up.
• Then form into 12 uniform sausage shapes.
• Skewer each, and shape tightly by squeezing the meat along the length of the skewer (leaving roughly 6" / 15 cm for a "handle").
• Cover the skewers with cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours before grilling.
• Grill the koftas on the barbecue, in the oven or on a preheated griddle on all sides for about 5 minutes or until the desired doneness is achieved.
• Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, accompanied by pita, arayes bread, tahini sauce, hummus, raw salad, and / or baba ganoush.

LAUKI KOFTA CURRY RECIPE

Steps:

• Peel and grate lauki. Squeeze out the water completely and keep that water for making gravy.
• Take squeezed grated lauki in a large bowl. Add gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, ginger-garlic paste, finely chopped green chilli, finely chopped onion and salt.
• Mix all ingredients well. Mixture should have a thick consistency to make round shaped balls. If it is watery then add 1-2 teaspoons gram flour and mix. Do not keep this mixture idle for long time since lauki releases water over time and it will make mixture soggy and you will not be able to make kofta balls.
• Grease your palms with oil and divide mixture into 10 to 12 portions. Take each portion and turn it into round shaped balls.
• Heat oil in a frying pan over medium flame for deep frying. When oil is medium hot, add 3-4 balls at a time. Stir occasionally and deep-fry until they turn light golden brown and crisp. Take them out using slotted spoon, drain excess oil and place them over kitchen tissue in a plate.
• Heat 2-tablespoons oil in saucepan over medium flame. Add cumin seeds and cook until they sizzle, 7-10 seconds. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir-fry for 30-40 seconds. Add chopped onion and stir-fry until it turns light pink in color.
• Add tomato-cashew puree and mix well. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt (add for gravy). Mix well and stir-fry for a minute.
• Add thick curd and mix.
• Stir-fry for a minute.
• Add lauki water (kept in step-2) and 1/2-cup water and cook over medium flame for 3-4 minutes. Stir in between occasionally.
• Add fried kofta balls to the gravy.
• Cook for 5-6 minutes and turn off flame. Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

KOFTA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, egg yolk, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Pick up medium sized handfuls and press them onto skewers. Roll on a lightly oiled clean surface until the mixture looks like a large ground beef hot dog with about 1 1/2 inches at each end of the skewer. Place your fingers in the middle of the skewer and separate the meat log into two sausages with about 1 inch of skewer sticking out at each end.
• Prepare a grill for high heat, or if you only have a grill pan, like myself, heat it over medium-high heat.
• Place the sausages on the grilling surface, and cook for about 10 minutes, turning once or twice for even cooking. Serve immediately.

LEBANESE LAMB KOFTA RECIPE (KAFTA/KOFTA KEBABS)

Steps:

• Finely chop the onion and parsley. The smaller the onion pieces, the better!
• Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well incorporated.To save time, you could do this in a small food chopper/processor (as the pieces don't need to be even). First, pulse the onion and parsley separately until finely chopped, then add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined into a homogenous meat paste. If the processed onions are very "wet," squeeze them lightly to remove excess liquid.
• To prepare the skewers, first transfer the lamb kofta mixture to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Then, divide the mixture into portions of around 3-3.5 oz/85-100 g (around a fistful). Then thread each portion onto skewers in a sausage shape, around 1-inch thick, pressing firmly). Be careful to make them even-sized, so they'll cook evenly.If you're using wooden skewers and plan to make the lamb kofta immediately, then first soak the skewers for 30 minutes (that way, they won't burn on the grill). Also, keep water nearby to dip your hands in while shaping the ground lamb kebabs - if they become too sticky.
• To grill the lamb kofta: transfer the kofta kebab to a pre-heated and oiled grill (or charcoal BBQ) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through (usually about 10 minutes total for well-done, 6-8 minutes for medium).Grill Pan: using an indoor grill pan is relatively similar to the above. Add a little oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Then add the lamb kofta kebab and pan-fry for several minutes, then flip and cook on each side until evenly cooked.Baked: to bake the lamb kafta, lay them on a parchment-lined baking sheet brushed/sprayed with a little oil. Bake in the oven at 350ºF/175ºC for between 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Feel free to broil at the end for extra browning.You could also broil the lamb kafta, turning to evenly cook.
• Make ahead: you can prepare and form the kofta kebabs patties in advance and store them covered in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to three months. Then, allow them to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking. Storing: store any leftover kafta in an airtight container in the fridge for between 3-4 days OR in the freezer for up to 3 months (freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to container/Ziplock bag, to avoid sticking). Reheating: you can reheat the kafta on a hot grill for several minutes or in the oven at 350ºF/176ºC until warmed through (7-10 minutes).