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Lamb Kofta Recipe

3.69 from 19 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield 8 kofta (4 servings)
Category Main Dish
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Author Lauren Grant

Description

This Lamb Kofta is a flavorful 45-minute meal that's easy to make for any occasion. Ground lamb is mixed with spices and fresh herbs, pressed onto a skewer and either grilled or baked. It's often traditionally served with chewy naan, garlicky yogurt sauce, sliced cucumber, and tons of fresh herbs.

Ingredients

Kofta

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped (or ½ yellow onion)
  • cup pine nuts, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 pound ground lamb, 70% or 80% lean
  • ½ cup finely chopped parsley or cilantro
  • ¼ cup finely chopped fresh mint
  • 8 wooden or metal skewers

Serve with:

  • Zucchini Tzatziki or Greek yogurt mixed with a bit of garlic, *see notes
  • Naan
  • Shredded cabbage tossed with olive oil and lemon juice, *see notes
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Lots of herbs such as mint, cilantro and parsley
  • Ground sumac sprinkled over platter

Instructions

  • Heat oil over medium heat in a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet until shimmering. Add shallot and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  • Add pine nuts and cook until starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne, cinnamon, and cloves; cook 30 seconds. Transfer shallot mixture to a large bowl with lamb, parsley and mint; mix to combine.
    ground lamb mixed with spices, herbs and nuts in a bowl
  • Divide mixture into 8 even portions.
    ground lamb mixed with spices, herbs and nuts in a bowl
  • Form each into a 4-inch-long log. Push a skewer through the length of each log, leaving a 4-inch tail on one end and a 1-inch tail on the other; form meat around skewer to secure.
    ground lamb mixture formed around wooden skewers
  • Cook according to directions below using the stove, grill or broiler.
  • Stove: Preheat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium high heat for 5 minutes (just wipe out the skillet you used to cook the shallot and spices). Add 4 lamb skewers and cook, turning every 2–3 minutes, until well charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centers registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), about 8 minutes total. Transfer skewers to a platter and repeat cooking process with remaining 4 skewers.
    kofta on wooden skewers in a cast-iron skillet
  • Grill: Preheat a grill to medium-high for 5–10 minutes; brush grill grate clean. Arrange lamb skewers over grate and grill, turning every 2 minutes, until charred and an instant-read thermometer registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), about 6 minutes total. 
  • Broiler/oven grill: heat broiler to high with rack set 10-inches from element (middle rack). Arrange lamb skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning every 3 minutes, until well-browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 145ºF (*see recipe notes below), 10–12 minutes.
  • To assemble a platter: arrange skewers on a large platter. Place a small bowl of yogurt sauce in the middle then arrange naan, shredded cabbage, cucumber, and fresh herbs around the rest of the platter. Sprinkle sumac over top. 

Notes

Internal Temperature of Lamb: It is recommended by the USDA to cook ground lamb to 160ºF. Follow these cooking temperatures for specific doneness: 120–125ºF for medium--rare, 130–135ºF for medium, 140–145ºF for medium-well. 
For a garlic Greek yogurt sauce: ½ cup whole milk or 2% Greek yogurt + ¼ teaspoon grated garlic + salt and pepper to taste
For a simple slaw: ½ small green cabbage shredded +  2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + salt and pepper to taste
Nut-Free: do not use pine nuts. 
Ground Lamb: I find most ground lamb is 70/30. If you find leaner, you can use that but add a teaspoon of oil to the cast-iron skillet for cooking the skewers. 
Skewers: Wooden skewers are best for cooking these on the stove top. Depending on how large your cast-iron skillet is, you may need to cut down the wooden skewers to fit. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2skewersCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 25gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 94mgSodium: 505mg
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