Growing up in a Greek household, KOFTA was often on the table. I love lamb! Unfortunately, it’s relatively high in fat + in isolation, has a somewhat gamey taste. Not surprisingly, traditionally prepared kofta cooked in substantial oil + salt is also high in fat + sodium. So I’ve mixed lamb with lean ground turkey to cut fat + calories by 30%, as well as make em a bit more palatable, especially for my American friends!
In my time here in Los Angeles, I’ve learned most Americans don’t grow up eating lamb, + aren’t exactly crazy about the funky flavor in isolation. But lightened up with the turkey…WOW! SO delicious! We’ve served these to MANY friends for dinner + no matter how many kofta we make, there’s never a single one left on the platter! We’ve find this ratio of meat to also provide the most ideal texture. Cooked properly, these kofta are juicy, but also a little lighter in texture, less dense.
Kofta, Greek Salad + Tzatziki = Perfect Meal! Click for GREEK SALAD RECIPE!
I honestly hope I don’t receive any hate mail for this, but as a Greek, I can say I actually prefer our recipe! We’ve nailed the spices + maintained the essential lamb flavor that transports me to childhood. I’m just ecstatic to be able to offer people a kofta that’s as delicious as I remember, but remarkably lower in fat + sodium!
Kofta Spices. I’d hang that on my wall!
O! Let’s not forget WE’VE CUT 97% of the SODIUM from traditional Kofta! Look below at that beautiful volume of spices. Don’t tell me this won’t have flavor without salt. Just try it!
INGREDIENTS
1lbs Ground Lamb
2lbs Ground Turkey 93/7
1 Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Cup Chopped Parsley
3 tsp All Spice
1.5 tsp Cayenne
1.5 tsp Paprika
2 tsp Nutmeg
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Sumac
1 tsp Cardamom
DIRECTIONS
Dice onion + mince garlic. Sauté in non-stick pan till tender. Combine turkey + lamb in a large mixing bowl. Add the onions + garlic to the meat mixture. Add the spices + the chopped parsley. Time to get your hands dirty! Combine all the ingredients together using your hands as mixing tools. Here, they are much more effective than a spoon, + will prevent kofta from “toughening up.”
Let mixture sit for at least an hour in the fridge to allow meat to absorb all the flavors.
Heat a pan on medium to high heat. Use your hands to roll the meat into 1oz sausage shapes.* Should make approximately 48 kofta. Sauté them in the pan till they have a crisp browned exterior and juicy interior. Enjoy with your favorite salad + some tzatziki.
*PRO TIP!
Go Sausage! We find this shape is easier to cook more evenly throughout. Balls, made more healthily with lower fat meat, no oil in pan, without a bread binder tend to fall apart as they need to be rotated constantly. They are also difficult to cook properly. Often burned on outside, raw in middle, or if cooked through, can be very dry.
If you’re having KOFTA, you’ve gotta have TZATZIKI yogurt dip! Click for our low fat + sodium tzatziki recipe!
SERVES
Well, that depends entirely on the nutritional needs of your diners, right? Essentially, recipe yields 48 1oz kofta. So:
12x 4oz servings OR 8x 6oz servings OR 6x 8oz servings… YOU PICK!
NUTRITION INFO
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