Making kofta is an ancient way of grilling ground meat. Aromatic and savory spices are added to the meat and it is shaped around a skewer for grilling.
Ingredients
454 gm
Beef, ground
454 gm
Pork, ground, lean
1 large stalk(s)
Celery
1 medium
Red onion
4 clove(s)
Garlic
1/2 bunch
Parsley, fresh
(can use other herbs on hand)
1 bunch
Basil, fresh
1 bunch
Mint, fresh
4 tbsp
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 tsp
Sea Salt
1/2 tsp
Black pepper
(freshly ground)
1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper
(freshly ground)
1/2 tsp
Cardamom, ground
1/2 tsp
Sumac, ground
1/2 tsp
Nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp
Paprika
2 tsp
Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
(cooking)
Instructions
In a food processor, add chopped red onion, celery, garlic, all fresh herbs, pepita seeds, salt, pepper, and all the dry spices.
Pulse until well combined and onion is in small pieces, about 30 seconds
Empty mix into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add ground meat and combine using your hands. Make sure it’s well incorporated.
Take about a tennis-sized ball of meat and wrap it around the top end of a wooden skewer, rounding in your hand until it looks like a chubby sausage on a stick. Do this until you’ve used up the meat mix.
On a cast iron grill pan set to medium heat, lightly brush with olive oil. Working in batches, place skewers on the grill until the underside begins to brown, then rotate, grill about 2 min per side. You can also bake at 350ºF (177ºC) for 40 min until crispy on the outside.
Serve with rice, yogurt, and fresh herbs like parsley and basil.
Notes:
The secret to successful koftas is to make sure the meat is sticky enough to hold together on the skewers. Kofta It is a lot like a sausage, but without the casing.
