Name: Lamb kofta with tomato rice and sumac fried onions
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 500 gm minced lamb; 2 white onions, coarsely grated; 1 cup each of (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley and mint leaves, finely chopped; ½ tsp each of ground cumin and coriander; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; To serve: warm Arab or Greek-style flat bread; Tomato rice; 300 gm basmati rice (1½ cups); 1 kg tomatoes, coarsely grated into a bowl, skins discarded; 8 black peppercorns; 2 bay leaves; 1 tbsp whole cardamom; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp white sugar; Sumac fried onions; 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup); 2 white onions, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp sumac; ¼ tsp allspice

Lamb kofta with tomato rice and sumac fried onions

Australian Gourmet Traveller Middle Eastern recipe for lamb kofta with tomato rice and sumac fried onions

Serves 6

Prep

40M

Cook

40M

Total

1H 20M

Be careful when handling the kofta mix – you need to gently squeeze it into sausage-shaped pieces around the skewers. Make sure it is firm and compact to avoid it crumbling and falling apart. It’s worth investing in the special flat skewers, used in Turkey and the Middle East, which seem to help the process. The onion salad can be served raw if you don’t have time to sauté the onions.

Ingredients

500 gm minced lamb

2 white onions, coarsely grated

1 cup each of (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley and mint leaves, finely chopped

½ tsp each of ground cumin and coriander

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

To serve: warm Arab or Greek-style flat bread

Tomato rice

300 gm basmati rice (1½ cups)

1 kg tomatoes, coarsely grated into a bowl, skins discarded

8 black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp whole cardamom

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp white sugar

Sumac fried onions

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

2 white onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp sumac

¼ tsp allspice

Method

Main

1.Combine lamb, onion, herbs and spices in a large bowl, season generously with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well using your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. Divide mixture into 6 and mould each portion into a long sausage shape around a metal skewer. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2. For tomato rice, rinse rice in a sieve under cold running water until water runs clear, transfer to a saucepan, add remaining ingredients and season with sea salt. Add enough water to just cover the rice, bring to the boil over medium heat, stir, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and stand, covered, for 10 minutes before serving.

3.For sumac fried onions, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add remaining ingredients, stir to combine and sauté for 12-15 minutes or until soft and golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4.Preheat a barbecue to medium heat. Drizzle kofta with oil and cook, turning occasionally, for 6-7 minutes. Serve immediately with tomato rice, sumac fried onions and Arab or Greek-style flatbread.