LAMB & ZUCCHINI SPICED KOFTAS

These koftas are Indian spiced with a little sweetness from chopped raisins. I’ve been trying to find ways to use up the abundance of zucchini growing in my garden. They’re great in meatballs and koftas, as added nutrition and to help keep them moist.  

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Lamb & Zucchini Spiced Koftas
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric 
350g lamb mince
1 size 7 egg
1 medium courgette, grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chilli powder, optional
1 tablespoons mango chutney
⅓ cup dried breadcrumbs
⅓ cup raisins, roughly chopped
½ cup roughly chopped fresh coriander
Sea salt
Cracked pepper
Neutral oil such as vegetable, canola or rice bran for frying

To Serve
1 ½ cups basmati rice
1-1 ½ cups plain unsweetened yoghurt  
⅔ telegraph cucumber, thinly sliced
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons mango chutney
Poppadoms 
Salt

METHOD

In a small frypan over a medium heat, dry fry the spices for a few minutes until aromatic. Tip the spices into a large bowl then add the remaining kofta ingredients to the bowl. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Heat a few tablespoons of neutral oil in a large frypan over a medium heat. Place a small spoonful of the kofta mixture into the pan and fry on all sides until golden and cooked through. Taste the meatball and add extra salt to the kofta mixture if needed. 

To fry the koftas, take a heaped tablespoon of the mixture and form it into an oval shape. Place 6-7 koftas into the pan (or as many as fit without overcrowding the pan, you’ll need space between each to flip them) and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until golden and cooked through. 

To Serve
Cook the rice in salted water using packet instructions. 

In a bowl, combine the sliced cucumber with a few tablespoons of the yoghurt.

Serve the koftas with rice, cucumber, extra yoghurt, mango chutney, red onion and poppadoms.