spiced lamb kofta over white bean puree
Lamb kofta are Turkish-inspired meatballs that are incredibly easy to make. You can skewer the meatballs and grill over open flame, or bake in the oven and the outcome is equally delicious. I paired the meatballs with a cannelini bean puree, yogurt sauce and fresh mint. The recipe calls for a number of different spices, but at some specialty spice stores, you can find a Middle Eastern blend that may suffice as a replacement for all the individual spices. I keep a spice blend called Baharat in our pantry, which is commonly a blend of allspice, black pepper, cardamom, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, and paprika - perfect for seasoning lamb, chicken, beef, and pureed beans or eggplant. This dish is delicious when paired with a medium to full-bodied red wine like a Malbec, Syrah, or Cabernet.
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Ground lamb (1 pound)
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Fresh minced garlic (4 teaspoons total; 2 teaspoons for meatballs, 2 teaspoons for bean puree)
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Fresh minced ginger (1 teaspoon)
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Ground sea salt (2 teaspoons total; 1 teaspoon for meatballs, 1 teaspoon for bean puree)
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Fresh parsley (1/2 cup, chopped)
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White onion (1/2 cup, diced)
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Ground coriander (1 teaspoon)
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Ground cumin (1 teaspoon)
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Cayenne pepper (1 teaspoon)
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Ground cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
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Ground allspice (1/2 teaspoon)
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Ground black pepper (1/2 teaspoon)
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Cannelini beans (2 cups)
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Lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
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Ground sumac (1 teaspoon)
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Olive oil (2 teaspoons)
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Greek yogurt (1/2 cup)
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Water (2 teaspoons)
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Fresh mint (1/2 cup, chopped into thin strips)
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
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Unwrap the ground lamb and place in a food processor (or use your hands in a large mixing bowl if you don't have a food processor).
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Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, parsley, white onion, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, allspice, and black pepper. Pulse the food processor until the mixture is evenly blended.
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Using a spatula, transfer the meat blend to a large mixing bowl.
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Place tin foil on an oven-safe baking tray. Using your hands or two small spoons, form ground meat into small meatballs and evenly space the meatballs on the baking tray.
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Bake the meatballs for 15 minutes, or until fragrant. There should be no more pink meat on the inside.
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While the meatballs are baking, puree the cannelini beans, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of salt, and sumac in the food processor. Stream in olive oil through the top of the food processor until puree is smooth.
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Transfer puree to a shallow casserole dish. The bean puree will be room temperature.
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Once meatballs have finished baking, transfer using tongs to the casserole dish, nesting the meatballs in the bean puree.
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In a small separate bowl, whisk yogurt and water until smooth and drizzle over the top of the meatballs. Top with fresh mint.