Thomasina Miers’ Recipes For Lamb Koftas With Buttery Tomato Sauce And Cacik

Several years ago, I was stranded successful Istanbul because of nan Icelandic eruptions. I wandered done nan ancient metropolis and was astounded by nan beauty of nan spot – and conscionable arsenic overmuch by its food. I tasted grilled meats cooked complete unfastened fires connected nan streets, and had a kofta crockery served pinch cacik, a classical cucumber and mint sauce, that was truthful intensely delicious that nan infinitesimal has been distilled successful my memory. Mince, pinch bully provenance and nan correct magnitude of fat to transportation flavour and lend moisture, is simply a room hero. Here, it delivers an astoundingly bully meal inspired by that meal, and which shouldn’t break nan bank.

Lamb koftas pinch buttery herb sauce

A deliciously savoury feast of grilled lamb, spices and dill pinch a richly aromatic sauce

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4 pinch leftovers

For nan herb mix
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3-4 fat ail cloves, peeled
1 tsp crushed cinnamon
Salt and achromatic pepper
1 tsp crushed turmeric
1 tsp crushed ginger For nan koftas
2 tbsp rootlike aliases oliva oil
2 mean reddish onions, peeled and diced
900g lamb mince
1 ample fistful caller dill, finely chopped

For nan herb sauce
50g butter
1 ample onion, peeled and finely diced
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
2 bay leaves

Warm a heavy-based casserole connected a mean heat, past mildly toast nan cumin and coriander seeds for a fewer minutes. Tip them into a mortar aliases herb grinde, adhd nan garlic, cinnamon and half a spoon of salt, and grind to a paste. Set speech half of nan paste for nan herb sauce, past operation nan turmeric and ginger into nan remaining paste successful nan mortar.

Meanwhile, power nan lipid for nan koftas successful nan aforesaid pan, adhd nan 2 diced onions, and sweat pinch a spoon of brackish for 8 to 10 minutes. Stir successful nan garlicky paste from nan mortar and, erstwhile nan onions are translucent and smelling tantalisingly good, adhd nan lamb and scrape nan operation into a bowl.

To make nan sauce, put nan aforesaid cookware backmost connected a mean heat, adhd nan food and onion, and play generously. After 8 to 10 minutes, operation successful nan reserved herb paste and stir-fry for a fewer minutes. Cut up nan tinned tomatoes pinch scissors aliases squash them to a pulp, past operation them into nan cookware pinch nan bay leaves. Stir, past simmer mildly complete a mean power for astir 15 minutes, until nan condiment is heavy and glossy.

Meanwhile, operation nan dill successful to nan vessel of onions and mince, and play pinch a spoon of brackish and immoderate achromatic pepper. Mix thoroughly, then, utilizing your hands, style into equal-sized, flattish torpedo shapes. You should extremity up pinch 12-14 successful all.

When you are fresh to eat, power a griddle, barbecue aliases frying cookware connected a precocious power until smoking. Griddle aliases fry nan koftas for 2 to 3 minutes connected each side, until conscionable cooked successful nan middle. Serve astride nan herb condiment pinch short-grain atom aliases bulgur wheat, immoderate wilted spinach aliases chard, and nan cacik below.

Shredded cucumber cacik

A dip that is delicious for meal pinch bread, olives and feta, and cleanable for layering successful a sandwich and insanely bully pinch grilled aubergine.

Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4 pinch leftovers

400g greek yoghurt
2 mini cucumbers, aliases ½ ample cucumber
1-2 mini garlic cloves, peeled
Salt
1 mini fistful caller mint leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp dried mint (optional)
Extra-virgin oliva oil

Put nan yoghurt successful a mixing vessel and hit it pinch a fork until very smooth.

Top and tail nan cucumbers and coarsely grate them into nan aforesaid bowl. Finely grate nan ail and adhd it to nan yoghurt substance pinch half a spoon of salt, each but a scattering of nan caller mint and nan dried mint, if using.

Pour complete immoderate oliva lipid successful a swirl, apical pinch nan past of nan caller mint and service pinch nan koftas above.