beef kofta

One can only cook spaghetti bolognese so many times. So here’s another way with mince.

My girls love these easy and delicious beef kofta’s for something a little different. Anything on a stick seems to be a hit in our house at the moment (thinking back to our honey soy chicken kebabs and Teriyaki salmon skewers that I’m yet to blog).

Made in minutes and served with homemade flatbreads, a zingy tzatziki and a fresh Greek salad, you couldn’t find a more enjoyable meal if you tried.

beef kofta

This recipe is different to most kofta recipes that call for traditional breadcrumbs. I find myself favouring soaking bread in warm water (that I then wring out really well) because it’s quicker than making breadcrumbs and because I find that it keeps the kofta from drying out.

Another alternative to breadcrumbs is to crush up some Weetbix, adding them to the mixture. Not very middle eastern, I’ll admit, but it does the job.

1 x kilo of beef mince
1 x brown onion, finely diced
3 x cloves of garlic, crushed
4 x pieces of bread, that have been soaked in a large bowl of warm water and then wrung out/squeezed (or you can substitute for breadcrumbs instead)
1 x egg
A good sprinkling of ground cumin
A good sprinkling of ground coriander
A good sprinkling of dried oregano
Optional: some ground chilli powder, paprika or cayenne pepper, depending on how much heat you’re after
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
Olive oil, for pan frying or grilling
Greek salad, tzatziki and flatbreads to serve

• Simply add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine using your hands.
• Thread the meat on to some wooden skewers (that you’ve soaked in water so as not to burn them when cooking) or roll in to evenly sized meatballs if you prefer. (You then want to pop them into the fridge to firm up before cooking. Similarly, if the mixture won’t stay on the skewer – pop it in the fridge to firm up before skewering the meat).
• Once ready to cook, add a good dash of olive oil to either: a large non stick fry pan/ an electric fry pan or a barbecue hot plate and cook until nicely browned all over.
• Enjoy.

I’d love to know what you think of this recipe. Feel free to comment below. xx