Kofta Pita Sandwiches
Kofta is a Middle Eastern, and other areas surrounding, staple. In its most basic form, it’s ground meat (most likely lamb or beef) mixed with spices and onion, though the variations/names for the dish are practically endless. In my travels I’ve had versions cooked slowly in a tagine, fried and stuffed in a pita, grilled and served with rice, and simmered in tomato sauce. So far, I haven’t experienced one that I haven’t loved. Flavorwise this version is most similar to the version I had in Morocco; though it being seared and cooked through, rather than finished in a sauce, makes it more similar to the Palestinian or Lebanese version.
I find myself making Kofta all the time because they’re amazingly juicy and tender, easy to prepare, and have a really deep, well-rounded flavor that's so satisfying.
You’ll notice that this recipe includes ras el hanout, which is a Moroccan spice blend. Often, kofta recipes will include a long list of multiple spices, but I prefer using ras el hanout because you get lots of terrific flavor in an already perfectly-balanced spice blend. Less work, more flavor! When I was visiting Morocco I loved going into spice shops, and found that each spice shop had a slightly different blend. Typically they included cardamom, cumin, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, coriander, paprika, and turmeric. If you’re looking for a ras el hanout to purchase, I love this one. If you’d rather just combine a few of the above spices instead of using the blend, have fun experimenting! If you’d like a specific recipe for making ras el hanout, check out this one.
INGREDIENTS:
Kofta
2 pounds ground meat (lamb or 80/20 ground beef are ideal but anything will do)
½ onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup ras el hanout
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
½ cup fresh herbs (I love dill, parsley, chives and mint in equal proportions), finely chopped
2 tsp salt
Oil for pan
For Pita Sandwich
¼ cup hummus
¼ cup yogurt
2 Persian cucumbers, chopped
2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
Chopped leftover herbs (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)
4 pita, warmed
LET’S COOK:
In a large mixing bowl combine the ground meat, onion, garlic, ras el hanout, red pepper flakes, herbs, and salt. You’ll want to make sure that all the herbs, onions, etc are chopped really really fine so that the kofta hold together easily
Use your hands to incorporate all the goodness into the meat, but be careful not to squeeze too hard. You want to keep it loose so the kofta aren’t too dense. Don’t overmix!
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to very thinly coat the bottom of the pan
While the pan is heating, form your kofta by grabbing about a golf ball size quantity of meat and forming it into a little ovular patty. Form all the patties and then add them into the pan, making sure not to crowd them
Cook until the bottom side is golden brown and nicely seared, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat. If you’re using turkey or chicken as your protein be sure to cook them all the way through. If you are uncertain if they’re properly cooked you can use a meat thermometer to see if they’re at 155°F, or cut into one and check
Half each pita and give the insides of each sandwich a generous coat of hummus and yogurt. Tuck in a few pieces of cucumber, tomato and kofta and finish with extra herbs and hot sauce, if you so desire!
[SERVES 4]
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