Lamb koftas with parsley mint and red onion salad

Our Middle Eastern style lamb koftas with parsley mint and red onion salad are incredibly easy to make. Perfect for a tasty midweek meal or and a great excuse to get the BBQ going when entertaining.

Kofta is a type of meatball or meatloaf, and is a popular dish in Afghan, Azerbaijani, Arab, Armenian, Balkan, Bangladeshi, Indian, Iraqi, Palestinian, Iranian, Israeli, Jordanian, Kurdish,Moroccan, Pakistani, Romanian, Lebanese, and Turkish cuisine. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef, chicken, lamb, or pork—mixed with spices and/or onions. In Europe, kofta is served as fast food as a type of kebab.

Koftas in India are usually served cooked in a spicy curry/gravy and are eaten with boiled rice or a variety of Indian breads. In Iran, Iraq and Azerbaijan, koftas are served with a spiced gravy, as dry variations are considered to be kebabs.

  • Prep Time

    20 Minutes

  • Cook Time

    10 Minutes

  • Makes

    8 Wraps

Ingredients

for the koftas

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 1 small red onion, finely diced
  • 1 medium garlic clove, crushed
  • ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ cup medium grade bulgur wheat, cooked or soaked
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 8 wooden skewers soaked
  • olive oil

for the salad

  • 1 small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and diced
  • 2 cups flat leaf parsley leaves, washed
  • 1 cup washed and torn mint leaves
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed
  • juice and zest of ½ lemon
  • juice of ½ pomegranate (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • sea salt and black pepper, freshly ground

to serve

  • tzatziki
  • 8 large pita breads
  • lemon wedges
  • pomegranate seeds (optional)

You'll Need

  • Multix Bake
  • Multix Cling
  • Butcher’s string

Method

  1. Add all the lamb kofta ingredients (apart from the oil and skewers) to a large bowl. Use your clean hands to thoroughly mix together until the mixture becomes slightly ‘sticky’. Roll the mixture into small balls about 4cm across, then thread three onto each skewer. Place the kofta skewers on a plate then cover with Multix Cling and chill for at least 30 minutes, as this helps them hold together while cooking.
  2. While the meat chills make the salad. Place crushed garlic, olive oil and lemon juice & zest in a medium bowl. Whisk lightly with a fork and add the rest of the ingredients, finish with a squeeze of pomegranate juice (if you are using it) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Preheat a BBQ or grill pan to medium hot. Lightly brush the koftas with a little olive oil and grill, turning regularly until cooked to your liking. Before serving warm the pitas and spread a generous amount of tzatziki on each then pile in the koftas and salad. Wrap in folded Multix Bake and tie with butchers string. Serve immediately.

Tip: You can use any size flat bread you like for this recipe is you use mini flat bread just make more skewers and use 2 koftas on each instead of 3.

Posted in Dinner, Entertaining, Lunch, Party, Picnics & Outdoor Entertaining, Quick & Easy