Kofte

I love Kofte, and all Middle Eastern food! Kofte are a staple food in Turkey: meat patties, shaped in a variety of ways and seasoned with spices that evoke markets and the warmth of that region. They are succulent and fragrant, served with salad, some pitta bread and dips (hummous, baba ganoush etc). They're a great party snack as well. I thought I'd give these a try and I have to say, I think they're terrific! I followed a recipe, but found that the taste wasn't strong enough for me, so I adjusted things. By all means tinker with the below to your taste. You can always fry a small amount of the mix and taste before you fry the whole lot!

Ingredients

400g of lamb mince
1 handful of chopped fresh mint
2 handfuls of chopped fresh parsley
1 onion, diced very finely
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of ground turmeric
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 egg (beaten)

Instructions

1. Put the lamb in a mixer and beat for about 30 seconds, to make it finer.
2. Stir in all the ingredients.
3. Mix with your hands.
4. Shape the batter into thick almond shapes (see photos below) or any other shape you wish.
4. These are probably best cooked on a bbq, but they can also be fried in a bit of oil (which is what I did).

Ta da!