lamb, honey & mint kofta

category: lamb

I’ve never really been a fan of koftas, but I like the concept of them. I love meat, and I love spices, but I hate grated, undercooked onion. So instead of living the rest of my life without koftas, I decided to make my own version, one with all the flavour, and none of the unpleasant onion.

These turned out so tasty that even my parents agreed they were a winner. I stuffed mine into a soft pita with lettuce and a generous spoonful of yoghurt sauce, and it made such a satisfying meal. The flavours are punchy in the best way: the mint brings freshness, the honey adds sweetness and depth, the cayenne gives a little kick, and the yoghurt cools everything down. It’s simple, bold, and surprisingly filling, the kind of recipe I know I’ll be making again and again.

makes 8 koftas

Ingredients

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 2 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • skewers (if you are using wooden skewers, soak before adding the meat)

Method

  1. Add the lamb mince, 2 tsp garlic paste, mint, honey and spices to a bowl and mix together well. I like to mush together with my hands.
  2. Shape a handful of mince mix to a skewer and shape into a long, sausage
  3. Cook the koftas: You can cook these in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. You can cook these on the BBQ or stove top for 10 minutes, rotating until browned.
  4. Make the yoghurt sauce: Add the greek yoghurt, 1 tsp garlic paste and lemon juice in a small bowl and mix until smooth

Serving

You can serve these as is, with the yoghurt sauce on the side. I also like to serve these in pita breads with some lettuce, fresh mint, kofta and yoghurt sauce (see the image above).

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