Lebanese Kofta from the grill with aromatic semolina and almonds – oriental indulgence for outdoors.
These Lebanese kofta combine spicy beef and lamb mince with typical oriental spices such as cumin, cinnamon and Ras el-Hanout. Fried golden brown on the plancha, the meatballs remain juicy and intensely flavourful. They are served with fried semolina with almonds, pine nuts and raisins, as well as a fresh yogurt and mint sauce – a perfect combination of savoury, nutty and refreshing. Ideal for outdoor cooking, barbecues and everyone who loves oriental grill recipes and kafta-like patties.
For 4 people
Preparation: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Difficulty: *
For the Kofta
- 300 g minced meat (beef)
- 200 g minced meat (lamb)
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp Ras el-Hanout
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 bunch chopped parsley or coriander
- 2 eggs
For the fried semolina
- 350 g cooked semolina
- 30 g flaked almonds
- 50 g pine nuts
- 50 g sultanas
For the yogurt sauce
- 1 finely chopped cucumber
- 2 tsp chopped fresh mint
- 500 ml Greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper from the mill
- Peel the onion and chop very finely. Mix the lamb and beef in a large bowl and add the spices, the finely chopped onion and the parsley (or coriander). Mix everything until a homogeneous mass is formed.
- Take a small amount of minced meat and shape it into meatballs (kofta) between your palms. Repeat the process until all the mixture has been used.
- To prepare the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.
- Preheat the plancha grill thoroughly. Fry the meatballs in a little vegetable oil over medium heat in the pan until golden brown on all sides.
- Toast the pine nuts and almonds on the plancha grill or in a pan. Add the semolina and raisins and continue to fry for a few minutes. Serve the fried semolina with the kofta and yogurt sauce.
