Middle Eastern Lamb Kofta Food

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 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.

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.

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).