29/01/2023

Minted Lamb Kofta with Beetroot Cacik

Middle Eastern meatballs are so full of flavour and are just as tasty chargrilled, barbecued or pan-fried. I like to serve them with Beetroot Cacik, which is the Turkish answer to Greek tzatziki and adds colour and zest to the plate.

Serves:

6 Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Download Recipe PDF

Ingredients

1 kg lamb mince
1/2 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped continental parsley
2 spring onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon salt
pita bread, for serving
BEETROOT CACIK
1 beetroot (250g)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Method

Combine all ingredients together and mix well using your hands. Form large spoonfuls of mixture into oval shapes and cook on an oiled chargrill for 10-15 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Serve with Beetroot Cacik and chargrilled pita bread.
For the Beetroot Cacik, roast beetroot at 200°C for 30-40 minutes until tender. Allow to cool, remove skin and grate flesh. Combine with garlic, mint, salt and oil and swirl in yoghurt, leaving it a little marbled in appearance. Refrigerate until chilled. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with mint leaves.
VARIATION Beef, pork or chicken mince can be used in place of the lamb mince. Use 1 seeded and grated Lebanese cucumber in place of beetroot to make Greek tzatziki instead. Dill can be used instead of mint.

Tips

TIPS Make double the kofta and freeze some for a quick and easy dinner another time. To chargrill pita bread, brush or spray with olive oil and chargrill until lightly toasted on both sides.
STYLING Chargrill kofta horizontally across the grill to achieve those ‘zebra’ stripes. Serve on skewers after cooking.
DRINK MATCH Riesling or hazy pale ale.

New Recipes

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Apple Mint Salad

This is so much more than a chicken salad, particularly if you cook and carve the chicken and serve the…

Baked Sausage, Ricotta and Basil Penne

A tasty pasta bake that can be cooked in a flash.

Tuna, Caper and Tomato Shell Pasta

A quick tasty pasta made with store cupboard ingredients.

Share On:

Smoked Paprika Chicken with Apple Mint Salad

This is so much more than a chicken salad, particularly if you cook and carve the chicken and serve the warm slices on top of the fresh salad mix.

Main Courses ·

Baked Sausage, Ricotta and Basil Penne

A tasty pasta bake that can be cooked in a flash.

Tuna, Caper and Tomato Shell Pasta

A quick tasty pasta made with store cupboard ingredients.

Marinara Mornay

Seafood marinara mix in a creamy bechamel is a luscious dish as an entree or main.

Main Courses ·

Chicken and Fennel Paella Verde

This paella blanca (although I do use a bit of saffron) is a fresh take on this Spanish classic and combines chicken, fennel, zucchini and asparagus with the zing of lemon.