Greek lamb koftas
Pan-fried lamb meatballs make a delicious filling for warm pita bread pockets, packed with a crisp cucumber and leafy salad. Serve with cherry tomatoes.
| Servings | Prep Time | Cook Time |
| 6servings | 40minutes | 15minutes |
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6servings | 40minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15minutes |
Ingredients
- 12 oz extra lean ground lamb
- 1 egg
- 2 large garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme, chopped
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 3/4 cups fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh herbs such as basil, flat-leaf parsley and mint, chopped
- 6 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 oz arugula
- 6 large pita breads
- 1 lemon cut into six wedges
- 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup low-fat plain yogourt
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Ingredients
Servings: servings
Units:
|
Instructions
- To make the kofta, put the lamb in a large bowl and break it up with a wooden spoon. Add the egg, garlic, oregano, thyme and onion and mix well. Add the breadcrumbs and use your hands to mix well.
- Have a large board or plate ready, then roll the lamb mixture into 24 even walnut-sized balls. Flatten the balls slightly on the palm of your hand to make small patties, about 5 cm across and about 1 cm thick.
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the koftas, nudging them up to each other, they should just about fit, as they shrink as they begin to cook. Cook over a high heat for 2 minutes until browned underneath, then turn them over and cook for a further 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, turn the patties again and cook for about 8 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, and turning the patties once more, until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, mix the chopped fresh herbs with the scallions and arugula. Warm the pita breads in a toaster, turning them once.
- Slit the pita breads open and place four koftas in each. Add some cucumber slices and herb salad and squeeze over a little lemon juice. Drizzle with yogourt and eat at once.
Recipe Notes
Cook's tip: The kofta can be prepared a day or two in advance and refrigerated or frozen until you are ready to cook them.
Variations: Try ground pork with sage, or ground chicken or turkey with tarragon. Instead of filling pita breads, roll up the kofta and salad in wraps. Spread the yogourt over the wraps first. The cooked kofta could also be tossed with 2 x 398 ml cans of chickpeas, 200 grams (7 oz) halved cherry tomatoes and the herb salad, then topped with cucumber raita.
Each serving: 23.5 g protein, 10.5 g fat of which 3 g saturates, 51 g carbohydrate, 5 grams fibre, 405 Calories
