For company
Spiced Middle Eastern lamb patties with pita & yoghurt
Kofta the way I've made it a hundred times — quick, deeply spiced, moreish, made for a Friday night. Manna from heaven, I tell you.
Warm the pita on a dry stove-top pan until it puffs — it opens up like a little pocket and everything slides in easily.
Method
- 01
Stir the yoghurt with grated garlic, lemon, mint and a pinch of salt. Set aside in the fridge to let the flavours settle.
- 02
In a large bowl combine the lamb, grated onion, garlic, parsley, mint, all the spices, salt and pepper. Mix gently with your hands until just combined — over-working makes them tough.
- 03
Shape into 8 oval patties, about 1.5cm thick. Chill for 10 minutes if you have time.
- 04
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the patties in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply browned outside and just cooked through. Rest for 2 minutes.
- 05
While the patties rest, warm the pita directly on a dry hot pan (or an open gas flame), turning until each one puffs up like a balloon — this makes them easy to split open.
- 06
Split each pita along one edge and tuck in the tomato, cucumber and onion. Slide in a kofta or two, spoon over the garlicky yoghurt, scatter with parsley and sumac, and finish with a squeeze of lemon.
Keep cooking
