The dish I’m going to share today is a middle eastern inspired koftas with spiced tomatoes, yogurt, topped with pine nuts and coriander.
But first, I need to express just how much spices and herbs play a part in my cooking and how I’ve come to find that I could not live without them… The fact that I cook at home a lot (I get twitchy if I haven’t cooked for more than a few days..!) gives me the opportunity to explore in the kitchen; whether if it’s using recipes from books / the ones my parents have given me, or needing something quick and easy that I’ll happily throw anything I have together.
Spices and herbs, for any cook, is a saviour and I’m coming to the point in wanting to learn more about how it works, why it works and even the benefits of them – since the best thing about these ingredients, is that they’re fresh and completely natural! It must’ve been astounding throughout history for those who kept discovering them… Can you imagine? Stumbling upon that cardamom when simply opening the cask and finding these tiny seeds that taste wondrous or that mustard seed, which is one of the most astounding spices for having such flavour and being SO teeny!
So with that thought, I hope to find some new discoveries and learning more to bring to this blog down the line… But for now, find below my take on this koftas in spiced tomatoes, yogurt and pine nuts with coriander.
Serves 4-6
750g minced lamb
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1tp minced garlic
1tsp garam masala
bunch of flat leaf parsley/coriander, finely chopped
1tsp and an extra pinch sumac
500g natural yogurt
2tbsp butter or extra virgin olive oil
2-3tbps pine nuts
For the tomato sauce:
2tbsps extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4tsp crushed dried red chilli
750g tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1-2tsps sugar
Make the tomatoes first by heating the oil, frying the onion till soft, add the garlic, chilli and stir. Place in the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper and sugar, then simmer on medium heat for 10mins.
For the koftas, season the mince and add the onions, garlic, garam masala and parsley then work into it with your hands. Create the kofta shapes, place on a baking sheet and cook under a grill on high for 10mins, or till cooked and a gorgeous colour on the outside.
Heat the butter or oil and cook the pine nuts till golden and add the sumac. When the butter sizzles, sprinkle over the yogurt.
Arrange your dish with the tomatoes, yogurt, koftas, then more pine nuts and sprinkle over the pinch of sumac and parsley/coriander. Enjoy with any kind of bread or as it is…!
arushiwabisabi 