Lamb kofta with whipped feta & yoghurt dip

I made these kofta (middle eastern style meat balls) + whipped feta & yoghurt dip as part of a cooking demonstration event I co-hosted with Sophie Hansen @locallovely in November 2024 - thought it was about time to bring them out again!

Makes about 8 kofta balls - you can simply use 500g of lamb mince too, but I like the blend

INGREDIENTS

250g Lamb mince

250g beef mince

3 tbsp Almond meal

1 sachet Mingle Butter Chicken mix (available at most major supermarkets)

EVOO spray

A few sprigs of coriander, washed

1 x Lemon, quartered

METHOD

Combine all ingredients except for the lemon wedges and coriander in a large bowl. Mix together with hands, try not to overmix though as this can make the meatballs tough.

Once combined, with slightly damp hands, get a fist full of the mince mixture (about the size of half a rissole) and roll together into a ball, then flatten slightly so its more of an oval shape.

Place on a lightly oiled tray and repeat until all mince is used up into evenly shaped oval balls.

Heat a BBQ grill plate over high and make sure the balls are nicely oiled. Cook the kofta in batches, making sure not to crowd the grill plate. Once nicely browned all over, you can finish off in an oven to ensure they're cooked through. You can also finish them on the BBQ if it has a hood, just make sure you turn the heat right down so they don't burn.

Serve with lemon wedges and coriander as garnish with this on the side….

Whipped feta & yoghurt dip with scallions, fennel & chilli (adapted from Alison Roman’s book 'Nothing Fancy')

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup EVOO (plus more to loosen up the dip)

3 Spring onions, thinly sliced both white and green parts

1 tsp Chilli flakes (optional but amazing)

2 tsp Fennel seeds

2 cups Labne (or greek yoghurt)

200g Danish feta, mashed until smooth

Juice and zest of 1 lemon, or more to taste

Sumac or dukkah for garnish

Optional - bit of pickle brine (about 1 tbsp) if you have on hand!

METHOD

Heat EVOO, most of the spring onion, chilli flakes if using and fennel seeds in a small pot over medium heat. Cook, swirling occassionally until onion and chilli visually and audibly sizzling, and until the oil goes a nice orange-y colour. Remove from heat and when cool enough, add in the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. 

Combine labne, mashed feta, LJ and a drizzle of EVOO and some pickle brine in a medium bowl and whip with a fork until smooth - or do this in a food processor. Spoon into a bowl and swirl in the cooled oil mixture. Check seasoning before garnishing with dukkah or sumac and the remaining spring onions. 

Buon appetito 🍋