Greek lamb koftas with tzatziki
Served with pine nuts, feta, and a shallot mint salad, these spiced koftas can be prepared ahead for light, easy entertaining. Great as a starter or a shared main with a side of greens and a pile of fluffy flatbreads.
Ingredients
For the koftas:
1 small onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
500g Royalburn lamb mince
2 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp dried mint leaves
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground allspice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp salt
100g feta, crumbled
¼ cup pine nuts
Oil for frying and shaping
To serve:
2 shallots
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
A good handful of parsley and mint leaves, roughly chopped
50g feta, crumbled
1 tub tzatziki (we used Elysian)
2 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
Olive oil, for drizzling
Flatbreads, to serve
Method
Blitz together the onion and garlic in a food processor. Add the lamb, oregano, mint, cinnamon, allspice, lemon zest, and salt and pulse to combine. Put into a bowl and combine gently with the feta and pine nuts. Using wet hands, take roughly 2-3 tablespoon-sized portions of the mix and shape into oval sausage shapes (you should get approx. 16). Put onto a baking tray and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Cook either on a barbecue or in a pan with a little oil for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally until well browned and cooked through.
Thinly slice the shallots and put into a bowl with the white wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp iced water, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to soften. Drain from the liquid and combine with the parsley, mint, and feta.
Spread the tzatziki on a platter. Add the cooked koftas and scatter over the shallot and feta salad. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and drizzle with a little olive oil. Serve with the flatbreads alongside.