Skewered Spiced Lamb Kofta
Kofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball or meatloaf. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef or lamb—mixed with spices and/or onions. In Pakistan and Iran, koftas are usually made of beef and chicken. They are often shaped into meatballs which are prepared with a mixture of ground meat, rice, leeks and some other ingredients. The (Kufteh Tabrizi) is also very popular in Pakistan and forms part of the common diet. The vegetarian varieties, like lauki kofta and shahi aloo kofta, are popular in India.
Ingredients
4 lbs ground lamb
1 small red onion, peeled, finely diced
3 oz lime juice
3 bunches flat-leaf cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 t. cayenne
3/4 t. allspice
3/4 t. cardamom
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
12 pita bread rounds
1 t. ground sumac
1 1/2 qt. chilled tabouli salad
Orange and grapefruit slices, for garnish
Preparation
Mix together lamb, onion, lime juice, and cilantro. Season with coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, cardamom, salt and pepper. Refrigerate lamb mixture to chill. Once chilled, shape into 24 flattened patties, approximately 3 oz. each. Wrap around skewers with a little oil and cook in combi mode 400°F until 165°F internal temperature.
Brush olive oil on pitas, and sprinkle with sumac. Bake in preheated combi, in combi mode at 400°F until crisp. Break into chips.
Serve lamb skewers with pita chips and a chilled tabouli salad seasoned with thinly shaved fennel bulb, orange peel and juice, olive oil and torn fresh mint. If desired, garnish with orange and grapefruit slices.