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AI-generated photograph: Three browned lamb koftas on a warm folded flatbread on a long white platter, a swoosh of white garlic yoghurt, a bright tomato, cucumber and red onion salad, dark red sumac and a lemon wedge

Home · Recipes · Lamb kofta flatbreads with garlic yoghurt

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern · Lunch

Lamb kofta flatbreads with garlic yoghurt

spiced lamb kofta · garlic yoghurt · sumac onions

AI-generated photograph

Turkish-style lamb koftas (spiced minced lamb shaped into fingers) seared until browned, wrapped in warm flatbreads with cool garlic and mint yoghurt and a sharp tomato and onion salad.

Contains: cereals containing gluten and milk, as written. This recipe contains gluten, from the flatbreads, and milk, from the yoghurt. Flatbreads can also contain sesame, soya or milk, so check the packet.

Ingredients

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 1 small onion, coarsely grated and squeezed dry
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • Half a teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
  • A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley (about 20g), finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Half a teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) olive oil
  • 200g Greek-style yoghurt
  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed, for the yoghurt
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • Half a cucumber, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sumac (a dark red, lemony spice), optional
  • 4 flatbreads or large pitta breads
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

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Let's cook

  1. Put the lamb, grated onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chilli flakes if using, half the parsley, the salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix well with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes, until it feels a little sticky. Wash your hands well afterwards.
  2. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into 12 fingers, each about 10cm long. Put them on a plate.
  3. Make the yoghurt: stir together the yoghurt, the small garlic clove and the dried mint with a pinch of salt. In another bowl, mix the red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, sumac if using, the rest of the parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
  4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or griddle pan on a medium-high heat. Cook the koftas for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until well browned all over. Do this in two batches if the pan is crowded.
  5. Check they are cooked: cut one open in the middle. It should be brown all the way through with no pink, and the juices should run clear.
  6. Warm the flatbreads in a dry pan or in the oven for 1 minute each side. Spread each with yoghurt, add 3 koftas and a spoonful of salad, and serve with lemon wedges.

Tips

  • Squeeze the grated onion hard in a clean tea towel. Wet onion makes the koftas fall apart.
  • Mince must always be cooked right through, as any germs from the surface are mixed all through it.
  • Grill instead: cook under a hot grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them halfway.

Swaps

  • Cheaper: use beef mince, or half lamb and half beef.
  • Dairy free: swap the yoghurt for a plant-based yoghurt, and check the flatbreads.
  • Gluten free: serve with rice and salad in place of the flatbreads.

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