Name: Lamb kofte with pea tabbouleh and garlic yoghurt
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4

Lamb kofte with pea tabbouleh and garlic yoghurt

Lamb, pea and mint are a perfect combination for spring. We've given this dish a Lebanese (and gluten-free) twist.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

10M

Total

30M

Lamb, pea and mint are a perfect combination for spring. We’ve given this dish a Lebanese (and gluten-free) twist.

Ingredients

Olive oil, for drizzling

250 gm Greek-style yoghurt

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Coriander cress, sumac (optional) and lemon wedges, to serve

Lamb kofte

500 gm coarsely minced lamb

1 small Spanish onion, finely grated

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp baharat (see note)

¼ tsp ground chilli

¼ tsp ground allspice

Pea tabbouleh

500 gm frozen peas

2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 cup mint, finely chopped (loosely packed)

1 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (loosely packed)

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

60 ml extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)

1½ tbsp lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Finely grated rind of 1 lemon

Pinch of ground chilli

Method

1.For kofte, heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to medium-high heat. Combine lamb, onion, garlic and spices in a bowl and season generously to taste. Knead until mixture comes together and is slightly sticky (1-2 minutes). Divide into 12 balls and thread onto metal skewers.

2.For pea tabbouleh, cover peas with boiling water in a bowl, then strain and pulse in a food processor until coarsely crushed. Combine in a bowl with cucumber, herbs and spring onion. Whisk olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, lemon rind and chilli in a bowl to combine and season to taste. Add to salad just before serving, tossing lightly to combine.

3.Drizzle kofte with oil and grill, turning occasionally, until browned and just cooked through (5-6minutes). Rest for 5 minutes.

4.Combine yoghurt and garlic in a small bowl, season to taste and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter kofte with coriander cress and sumac, and serve with pea tabbouleh, yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Baharat, a Middle Eastern spice mix, is available from Herbie’s Spices (herbies.com.au) or Middle Eastern delicatessens.
Notes

Maxwell Adey Senior Food Editor & Stylist

Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.

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Styling by Emma Knowles