The first time I had Moroccan Lamb Kofta was from the prepared foods section of a healthy foods grocery store. Immediately, I fell in love with these kabobs.
The combination of spices and herbs (Cinnamon, Cumin, Coriander, Cardamom, Nutmeg, Mint) hits all flavor notes and brings memories of travels through the mysterious and adventurous routes of the Middles East and North Africa.
The warm feeling of these spices, paired with a Greek Salad or a grain-free Cauliflower Tabbouleh make a perfect dinner for a summer night gathering. Add some Tahini Sauce or tzatziki (if you eat dairy products) — optional sauces that accompany perfectly Mediterranean grilled meat — and you have a complete summertime meal that will amaze your guests. (If you are eating grains, you can also add some pita bread on the side.) Close the dinner with a cold, sweet, refreshing watermelon. Healthy, quick, and easy!
You can make the kofta ahead of time, (you can also freeze them prior to cooking), and have them ready for a quick dinner.
Moroccan Lamb Kofta
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground lamb
- 1/4 cup Parsley minced, packed
- 1 tbsp Mint minced, packed
- 1 tbsp Olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp Sweet paprika
- 3/4 tbsp Coriander ground
- 1 3/4 tsp Cumin ground
- 1/2 tsp Cinnamon ground
- ¼ tsp Cardamom ground
- 1 pinch Nutmeg ground
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 12 Wooden or metal skewers
- 1 Onion, medium finely chopped
Instructions
- While preparing the meat, soak the wooden skewers (if using) in cold water, in a long baking dish, for about 30minutes.
- Place the ground lamb in a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, the herbs and the spices. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Mix well.
- To make the kofta, take a handful of the ground lamb and press it around the center part of a skewer, to the shape of a sausage. Press lightly between your hands to flatten a bit the “sausage”, but not too much.
- Place the kofta on a platter and refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.
- Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium-high. Oil the grill grate or the pan.
- Grill the kofta for about 10 to 15 minutes, turning once until firm to the touch and cooked through.
Notes
This information is provided as a courtesy and for entertainment purposes only. This information comes from online calculators. Although eatmediterraneanfood.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Cauliflower Tabbouleh (Grain Free)
I’ve followed this recipe exactly, but thought something was missing. Looking at the photos, I saw a ground white substance and believed it is ground onion that is not mentioned in the recipe. I chopped a whole onion into manageable chunks and puréed it through a food processor with two whole cloves of garlic (alternatively, you could shred them on a fine cheese grater). I eliminated the garlic powder but the followed the rest of the recipe exactly. Voilà! The puréed onion and garlic adds moisture that is desperately needed. Using 1 pound of lamb and one pound 80/20 ground beef also makes for a juicer kofta.
Thanks for pointing it out, David. The white thing is indeed an onion finely chopped. I just corrected the recipe. I am glad you like it.
I thought it was a wonderful recipe the only thing that would have helped if the measurements were also in grams.
Thank you, Joanie! This is a very constructive comment. I am considering starting to write my recipes using grams in the future. Just keep checking my recipes. Until then, this conversions website might be useful to help you convert pounds (lb) and ounces (oz) to grams: https://www.onlineconversion.com