Mince of any sort is always a great go-to weeknight meal. These quick and easy lamb koftas with yogurt lemon and mint sauce take boring mince to a new level. And they give you thoughts of middle eastern sunshine wherever you are.
quick and easy lamb koftas with lemon and mint yogurt sauce
These are basically meatballs that can hail from the Middle East, Asia or India. The actual word ‘kofta’ comes from the classical Persian for ‘rissole’. So we are talking meatballs here, spicy meatballs and who doesn’t love good old meatballs.
My simple lamb koftas are packed with spicy flavours and with a herby touch too. They fairly make your taste buds sing so just need a nice simple accompaniment so you can really enjoy the flavours of the meatballs themselves.
What’s in these lamb koftas?
It’s all about the herbs and spices here. Well, of course, there is the lamb in there first and foremost. But it’s those herbs and spices that lift what is essentially a meat ball into a whole new level of taste.
I use chilli flakes, garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric, then I finish off with fresh mint and coriander. There is a whole lot of flavour packed in there.
Healthy lamb koftas
These koftas are super healthy. There are no fillers here, no extra carbs. Throw in that luscious lemon and mint yogurt sauce and this really is a good for you meal. This is gorgeous Mediterranean diet food at it’s best.
How to make lamb koftas
All you have to do to make these lamb koftas is whizz up all the ingredients up together in a food processor then tip out on to a clean work surface.
Pull off small pieces and roll in moistened hands to form balls. Push three of these on to each skewer.
Fry for 3 minutes on each side then pop into a preheated oven for 8 minutes.
Lemon and mint yogurt sauce
I make a little sauce for these using cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, the juice and zest of a lemon and a tablespoon of chopped fresh mint leaves.
Just mix this up and leave in the fridge for an hour to let the flavours develop.
The tanginess of the lemon and the freshness of the mint will come together beautifully and give you a light super tasty lemon and mint yogurt sauce that will make these quick and easy lamb koftas sing!
How many does this recipe for lamb koftas serve
This is a recipe for 2 people. Simply double it up etc to get as many servings as you need. It’s a great recipe for feeding a crowd.
What to serve with these quick and easy lamb koftas
I usually serve some rice or couscous on the side and a light salad of mixed leaves, tomatoes and onions.
Pitta breads are great here. Stuff everything inside and you have the perfect meal on the go or for outdoors dining.
These lamb koftas are perfect for summer BBQs. Noodles of any type are good with these koftas too, a bit of fusion food is always good.
Leftovers
I love these lamb koftas cold next day with salad and the lemon and mint yogurt sauce all stuffed inside a pitta for lunch.
Pro tips
Make the lemon and mint yogurt sauce before you start working on your lamb koftas.
Actually you can prep everything beforehand and that gives the lamb koftas time to develop full flavour before cooking. Time is always a great ingredient in any kitchen.
Use fresh mint here please, not dried mint. You want that zingy flavour you only get from fresh mint leaves.
Can you use other meats in koftas?
Of course you can. This recipe works just as well if you are using beef, pork, chicken or turkey mince. The choice is entirely up to you.
I always have mince of all sorts in the freezer and whip up these quick and easy koftas using any type of mince.
Can you freeze lamb koftas?
These will happily freeze for up to 3 months either uncooked or after cooking.
Looking for more quick and easy mince meals, then check these out before you go;
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LAMB KOFTAS
Ingredients
- 250 g minced lamb
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
- zest of half a lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- pinch of salt
- 1 small egg
- 1 tbsp oil to fry
- Sauce
- 2 tbasp cottage cheese
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- zest and juice 1/2 lemon
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C
- Whizz all ingredients for the koftas in food processor then pull off enough to make balls and thread on to skewars
- Fry skewars for 3 minutes each side then pop in the oven for 8 minutes
- Sauce
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and chill in fridge for 1/2 hour to allow flavours to develop
- Serve with side salad or rice, couscous etc.
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