Lamb and Pistachio Koftas with Tzatziki and Flatbread

SERVES 4

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 20 minutes

These koftas are on high rotation in our house. My kids love having a deconstructed mezze plate with hummus or yoghurt to dip their koftas in! They’re quick to make, packed with flavour and super versatile – perfect for a midweek dinner or lunch. The fresh herbs and pistachios give the lamb a gorgeous depth of flavour, and the tzatziki brings everything together.

Ingredients

40 g (1½ oz) flat-leaf (Italian) parsley and coriander (cilantro) leaves

120 g (4½ oz) rocket (arugula) or baby English spinach

2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) pistachios

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) minced (ground) lamb

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon Krumbled Beef Bone Broth

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon ghee, for frying

Cucumber fattoush salad

to serve

flatbread or tortillas, to serve

lemon wedges, to serve

TZATZIKI

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) Greek yoghurt

1 small Lebanese (short) cucumber, grated

1 garlic clove, grated

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. To make the tzatziki, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Set aside in the fridge.
2. Put the fresh herbs, rocket, garlic, onion and pistachios in a food processor and pulse to form small pieces the size of breadcrumbs.
3. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the minced lamb, ground cumin, stock powder and salt. Use your hands to combine the mixture well.
4. Roll the mixture into large balls – around 150 g (5½ oz) each (ground) lamb for adults and a bit smaller for the kids.
5. Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to cook at least two koftas at a time. Add the koftas to the hot pan and use a spatula to flatten them. Allow the koftas to cook for 3–4 minutes, until nicely browned, then flip them and cook for 3–4 minutes more.
6. Repeat to make all the koftas.
7. Serve the koftas on the salad with tzatziki, flatbread and lemon wedges on the side or pile everything into the flatbread and make a wrap.

Tips

I often skip the shaping and just press the whole mixture into the pan to make one big patty. Once cooked, I break it apart into smaller pieces. Minimal effort, same delicious result! You can store koftas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. They can be frozen either raw or cooked. Defrost raw koftas overnight in the fridge before using, then cook as per the method. Defrost cooked koftas and reheat in the oven, an air fryer or the microwave.