Kofta skewers are a delectable Middle Eastern dish composed of spiced ground meat, typically lamb or beef, mixed with aromatic herbs and fragrant spices. These succulent morsels are skewered and grilled to perfection, resulting in a tender, juicy interior and a beautifully charred exterior. Marinated in a flavorful blend of yogurt, garlic, and zesty spices, kofta skewers embody the essence of Middle Eastern cuisine, tantalizing taste buds with every bite. Whether served as an appetizer, main course, or enjoyed as part of a mezze platter, kofta skewers are a culinary delight that will transport you to the vibrant streets of the Middle East.
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KOFTA KEBABS WITH TZATZIKI
Whether it's Indonesian satay, French brochette, or Turkish kebab, food on a stick is just plain fun. "Kofta" refers to kebabs made with ground rather than cubed meat.
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 1h5m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Smash the garlic cloves, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear mixture to a coarse paste. Mix the paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon salt with the meat, onion, parsley, and spices.
- Line a pan with aluminum foil. Divide the meat mixture into 28 rough balls. Mold each piece around the pointed end of a skewer (if you use wooden ones, soak them in water for 15 minutes before threading them), making a 2-inch oval kebab that comes to a point just covering the tip of the skewer. Lay the skewers on the pan, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat or prepare a grill. Brush the pan lightly with olive oil. Working in batches, grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, until brown all over and just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat bread.
- If you're using plain whole milk yogurt, line a small sieve with a coffee filter. Put the yogurt in it, set it over a bowl, and refrigerate 12 hours. Discard the expressed liquid and put yogurt in the bowl.
- Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater into another bowl. Sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons salt and rub into the cucumber with your hands. Set aside 20 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers to express as much liquid as possible.
- Smash the garlic, sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Stir the cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mint into the yogurt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
KOFTA KEBABS
These kebabs have 6 different kinds of spices; the first time I smelled them I knew immediately that I had to find the recipe. The most affordable way to purchase the spices is in bulk at either a health food store or an Asian or Middle-Eastern market. They are very good! Serve with yogurt, flat bread, lettuce, tomato and cucumber.
Provided by SRKELZ
Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Lamb Ground
Time 1h20m
Yield 28
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Mash the garlic into a paste with the salt using a mortar and pestle or the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Mix the garlic into the lamb along with the onion, parsley, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cayenne pepper, ginger, and pepper in a mixing bowl until well blended. Form the mixture into 28 balls. Form each ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers. Place the kebabs onto a baking sheet, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours.
- Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil grate.
- Cook the skewers on the preheated grill, turning occasionally, until the lamb has cooked to your desired degree of doneness, about 6 minutes for medium.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 34.6 calories, Carbohydrate 0.6 g, Cholesterol 10.8 mg, Fat 2.3 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 2.9 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 78.2 mg, Sugar 0.1 g
GRILLED KOFTA KEBABS
If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before grilling. To make lamb and turkey koftas at the same time, combine all the ingredients except the meat first, then transfer half the mixture to another bowl and add one pound of each meat to each bowl.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Appetizers Finger Food Recipes
Time 2h
Yield Makes 18
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a large bowl, gently stir together meat, onion, parsley, oil, cumin seeds, cinnamon, salt, and pepper just to combine (do not overmix). Form 1/4 cup of meat mixture into a 3-inch-long oval and place on a rimmed baking sheet brushed with oil. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- Heat grill for direct heat (or a grill pan over medium-high). Thread each meat oval onto a skewer. Brush grill grates with oil. Grill kebabs, turning as needed, until cooked through and charred in spots, and a thermometer inserted in middles (avoiding skewers) registers 140 degrees (for medium-rare) for lamb, 6 to 8 minutes; or 165 degrees for turkey, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with pitas and accompaniments.
KOFTA SKEWERS
This is wonderful on the outdoor grill, indoor grill, oven.... even stove top grill pan. A nice garlicky cucumber salad goes wonderfully with this. My kids love this dish... after all it is food on a stick. You can always make these ahead of time and freeze raw... and grill from frozen ( you will need to adjust cooking time for this).
Provided by Mayas Mama
Categories Meat
Time 30m
Yield 10-12 skewers, 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Mix the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate till needed.
- mix kofta ingredients together (except for skewers).
- shape kofta into fingers ( 3/4 inch thick, 3 inch long).
- and then place on skewer.
- brush the marinade all over the kofta.
- allow to sit refrigerated for at least 30min.
- grill for 5 min a side on med-low (adjust temp and time according to the strength of ur grill).
CHEF JOHN'S KOFTA KEBABS
I'm excited to share what is one of my all-time favorite things to grill. This is perfect for those times when you want to take a break from grilling burgers, but you also kinda want a grilled burger, since this is basically a Mediterranean-style meatball on a stick. I know "shish" gets more love, but "kofta" might be the best kebab. Serve over a tomato, onion, and cucumber salad with flatbread or pita and a lemony tahini dressing.
Provided by Chef John
Categories BBQ & Grilled Beef Skewers and Kabobs
Time 1h30m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
- Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
- Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
- Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
- Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
- Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 287.9 calories, Carbohydrate 6.2 g, Cholesterol 68.9 mg, Fat 22.1 g, Fiber 1.2 g, Protein 15.6 g, SaturatedFat 9.1 g, Sodium 693.3 mg
KOFTA KABOBS
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large bowl, put the ground meat, flattened in the bowl, add all the ingredients. Knead for at least 5 minutes until all is well mixed. Let the kofta rest for 20 to 30 minutes in a cool place to marinate.
- Wet your hand with water. Take the kofta and make a big cigar. Put on a long skewer, in the center. Repeat skewering until done. Cook over a charcoal grill. Serve hot.
BEEF KOFTAS (GROUND BEEF ON SKEWERS)
A yummy recipe that features finely ground beef cooked on skewers. You can have these on rice or pita bread with cucumber and tomatoes or any other way that sounds good! If you don't have all of the spices, you can do without. Enjoy!
Provided by Nif_H
Categories Meat
Time 25m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 1 hour.
- If you can, run the beef and onions through a food grinder twice. If you don't have a grinder, pulse the onion in a food processor until chopped finely and then add the beef and pulse until it reaches quite a fine consistency. Place in a bowl.
- Soak bread in milk and add to meat together with the seasonings.
- Mix well and form into football shaped meatballs 2-3 inch in diameter. About 2 or 3 meatballs should fit on each skewer. You can shape them right on the skewers.
- Grill on skewers until cooked through.
Tips:
- Choose high-quality meat: The quality of the meat you use will greatly impact the flavor of your kofta skewers. Look for ground beef or lamb that is fresh, lean, and has a good amount of fat for moisture.
- Use a variety of spices: Kofta skewers are a great opportunity to experiment with different spices. Some common spices used in kofta include cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, and chili powder. You can also add fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, and mint for extra flavor.
- Mix the meat well: When mixing the meat for the kofta skewers, be sure to mix it well so that the spices are evenly distributed. This will help to ensure that each bite is flavorful.
- Shape the kofta skewers evenly: When shaping the kofta skewers, try to make them all the same size and shape. This will help them to cook evenly.
- Cook the kofta skewers over medium heat: Kofta skewers should be cooked over medium heat so that they have a chance to cook through without burning.
- Serve the kofta skewers with your favorite dipping sauce: Kofta skewers can be served with a variety of dipping sauces, such as tzatziki sauce, hummus, or tahini sauce.
Conclusion:
Kofta skewers are a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for parties, picnics, or everyday meals. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make kofta skewers at home. So next time you are looking for a new and exciting dish to try, give kofta skewers a try. You won't be disappointed!
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