These lamb kofta meatballs are packed with fragrant herbs and spices, delivering big flavours in canapé sized bites. Back in our catering days, we served this lamb kofta recipe at lots of weddings and they went down really well. Interactive food is always fun. Start by dipping the lamb kofta meatballs in the tahini sauce, then into the nuts and spices (dukkah spice mix). All that flavour clings to the little lamb koftas and makes for a delicious mouthful, smiles guaranteed. For a twist on this lamb kofta recipe, pile them up in some large lettuce leaves and top with a zingy, crunchy salad for a tasty lunch (or try out my other lamb kofta recipe here). The tahini yoghurt was adapted from an Ottolenghi recipe, another of my food heroes.
Get ahead – These lamb kofta meatballs taste best fresh off the grill but are still delicious if chilled (for up to 2 days) then quickly reheated in a hot oven. The dukkah spice mix keeps for weeks in a sealed container at room temperature. The tahini yoghurt can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Lamb Koftas with Tahini Yoghurt and Dukkah spice mix
Ingredients
Koftas
- 500 grams organic lamb mince 20% fat
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 7 large mint leaves finely chopped
- 1 large handful flat-leaf parsley leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 lemon zested and juice of 1/2
- 1 pinch black pepper
Tahini sauce
- 15 grams parsley
- 1/2 clove garlic crushed*
- 50 grams tahini
- 1-2 tbsp lemon juice (give it a taste)
- 100 ml water
Dukkah
- 40 grams hazelnuts
- 40 grams sesame seeds
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl add lamb mince. Lightly toast spices, then grind in a pestle and mortar and add to lamb. Add remaining kofta ingredients, season carefully, then shape into 1” balls. Chill for 30 minutes**
- For the tahini sauce, blitz parsley and garlic in a processor. Gradually add tahini, then 100ml water and lemon juice. Season carefully.
- Toast hazelnuts in medium-hot dry pan for 4 minutes. Place inside a folded tea-towel and rub back and forth to remove skins. Lightly toast the remaining seeds and spices and add to pestle and mortar. Grind to smaller pieces (but not to a powder).
- To cook the koftas, heat a griddle pan over medium heat. Add to pan and leave for 2 minutes or until you see golden crust appearing around the edges. Flip and repeat. Keep turning for around 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
