By Lisa M. Pressey
I was looking for some new ideas on how to utilize beyond beef to create a vegan meal. Kofta or kofte turned up several times and in many variations. Even though there are multiple ways to make kofta, it is generally served with vegetables, pita bread, and tzatziki sauce. Since I cannot eat a lot of things, I made kofta and vegetables, served with farinata.
Kofta or kofte originated from the Persian word Kufte, meaning finely chopped meat.
Kofta is basically a Middle Eastern meatball! Beef or lamb are most often used, mixed with fresh herbs and spices. The spice combination varies, but all recipes include warm Middle Eastern spices such as, cardamom, cumin, tumeric and sumac to name a few. Unlike a meatball, the spice combination is completely different.
INGREDIENTS FOR KOFTA
- 1 lb. of Beyond Beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, grated
- bunch of fresh parsley
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- zest of one lemon
- juice of half the lemon
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl add the beef, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
- Mince the garlic, then add to the bowl.
- Grate the onion, then add the onion and the juice to the bowl. Don’t discard the onion juice as it adds more flavor to the kofta.
- With your hands mix the ingredients together, then shape them into log, about 4 inches long and 1-2 inches wide.
- Next, you want to grill them or cook them in a pan. Since they are only an inch thick they don’t take very long. It’s like cooking a hamburger.
Now that you have mixed all the ingredients, it’s time to shape them.
SHAPE THE KOFTA
This is what the kofta will look like once you shape it. You can also put them on skewers if you wish. Place them on parchment paper after making each one. Transfer to the grill or a pan and cook for about 6 minutes.
Kofta can be served with naan bread, pita bread, flat bread, etc. In addition, it is also served with salad, tabbouhleh, humus, chickpeas, roasted eggplant, and of course tzatziki! Due to all the delicious choices, your possibilities are endless.
The first time I made kofta I could not find a vegan tzatziki, so I made a sauce with mayo and creamy horseradish. While that sauce was delicious, I did find gluten free, dairy free tzatziki by Kite Hill for the next time. By the way, it was equally satisfying.