Rick Stein Lamb Kofta Food

RICK STEIN'S LAMB AND PISTACHIO KöFTE

Steps:

• For these you need a flat metal skewer, the sort of thing you're bound to buy in a shop somewhere in Turkey on holiday and then find again a year or two later languishing in the back of the garage. You need the surface area to enable you to turn them. If you use a thin, round skewer, the meat will fall off. This is what I would call the epicentre of Turkish cuisine.
• Köfte are popular all the way from Greece to Iran and as far as India, but the combination of fennel, coriander and cumin with minced lamb, pistachio nuts and chilli flakes sums up Turkey.
• Crush the spice seeds with a pestle and mortar, then mix all the ingredients together. If the mixture is too wet, add a little plain flour.
• Form with wet hands into sausage shapes on metal skewers. Brush with a little oil.
• Cook on a charcoal braai or under a hot grill for about 8 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through.

LAMB KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Preheat your barbecue half an hour before you start cooking. If using a cast-iron griddle pan, heat it over a high heat, then lower the heat slightly before cooking. Cover eight bamboo skewers with cold water and leave them to soak.
• Put the minced lamb into a bowl with the onions, garlic, chilli flakes, parsley, one teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix together with your hands until bound together. Divide the mixture into eight and mould it into long sausage shapes around the drained bamboo skewers.
• For the minted yoghurt, mix the yoghurt with the mint, half a teaspoon of salt and some pepper and set aside.
• For the salad, finely shred the carrots and kohlrabi, on a mandolin or on the coleslaw setting of your food processor so you get nice long, thin, crunchy strips. Put these in a bowl with a large pinch of salt and mix together well.
• Heat the sunflower oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds and, as soon as they start to sizzle, add them to the vegetables with the lemon juice and toss together.
• Brush the kofta generously with oil and lightly oil the bars of the barbecue or griddle. Cook for five minutes, turning occasionally, until browned all over and cooked through.
• Spread the minted yoghurt over one large or four individual serving plates. Lay the kofta on top, garnish with the sliced tomatoes and serve with the salad.

TURKISH KOFTA KEBABS WITH MINTED YOGURT AND CARROT, CUMIN SALAD

Steps:

• Soak skewers in cold water for half and hour.
• Add lamb, onion, garlic, chilli and parsley to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix with hands until all is combined.
• Divide into 8 portions and mould into sausage shapes around skewers. Chill for minimum of 30 minutes or overnight.
• For the minted yogurt, mix yogurt with mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• For carrot and cumin salad, peel and shred the carrot and turnip in a food processor. Toss into a bowl with oil, cumin and lemon juice.
• Brush koftas well with oil and lightly oil a griddle or frying pan. Fry koftas in batches over medium heat in a preheated pan about 5 minutes until browned all over and cooked through.
• Layer tomato slices, then salad then koftas onto 4 plates. Serve yogurt along 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.