Lamb Kofte (Köfte) Recipe
Selin Kiazim’s Lamb Köfte recipe with spicy tomato sauce and flatbreads is the perfect marriage of flavours and everything you need for a warm winter recipe.
Ingredients
For the flatbreads:
625g Strong flour
12g Fresh yeast or 7g sachet of dried instant yeast
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fine salt
1 tsp caster sugar
340ml - 360ml approx. luke warm water
For the Köfte:
500g best quality lamb or mutton mince (minimum 30% fat)
50g parsley, very finely chopped
1 small or ½ large onion, very finely chopped
Fine salt to taste
For the tomato sauce:
100g unsalted butter
350g passata
1 heaped tbsp tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 pinches dried oregano
2-3 pinches Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber)
Pinch sugar
Small splash sherry vinegar
Fine salt
To finish:
Thick yoghurt
A little parsley chopped
Sprinkling of sumac
2 tbsp brown butter
Step 1:
For the flatbreads, add the flour, yeast, oil, salt and sugar into a mixer and mix on a slow speed for 5-10 mins. Remove from the mixer and roll into a sausage shape.
Step 2:
Divide the dough into 100g pieces and ball them up, put them on a tray and cover. Leave the dough to proof in the fridge overnight.
Step 3:
For the köfte, combine the mince, parsley and onion in a large bowl and season generously with salt. Using your hands give the ingredients a really good mix. You almost want to treat it like you are kneading a dough. It’s important to really work it to activate the protein so the köfte hold their shape. Take a little of the mix and cook some to ensure you’re happy with the seasoning.
Step 4:
Divide the mix into the size of a golf balls. Roll each ball tightly to form a tight ball and then pat out into an oval shape.
Step 5:
Place the patties onto a tray and preferably chill for an hour at least before cooking so they firm up.
Step 6:
To make the tomato sauce, melt the butter in a pan and add in garlic. Cook until it starts to turn golden brown then add in oregano and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the passata, chilli and season with fine sea salt. Cook for approx. 15mins or until reduced a little. Finish with sugar and vinegar and salt to taste, then set aside.
Step 7:
Load your köfte patties onto a cast iron pan and cook in your Gozney oven at 300°C, turning them around halfway through. Add your köfte patties to your tomato sauce and set aside.
Step 8:
Shape your flatbread dough into round shapes and roll them out to 6/7mm thickness. Next cook in your Gozney Roccbox or Dome at around 400°C. Flip it over to colour on both sides.
Step 9:
Pop your pan with köftes and tomato sauce back in the oven for 1 minute to reheat.
Step 10:
Finish with some dollops of thick yoghurt, parsley, sumac and brown butter. Serve with your flatbreads and enjoy!
Recipe Contributor
Selin Kiazim
Selin is a genius in the kitchen and founder of the hugely popular restaurant Oklava in London, bringing people epic dishes inspired by her Turkish Cypriot roots.