Have you noticed a theme developing in my recent posts? We started at flatbreads, detoured via dukkah and now here we are at lamb koftas for dinner (or lunch). I’ll admit I am not the greatest fan of lamb. Does that make me un-Australian? As an aside, I don’t like Vegemite either. Don’t judge me.
I grew up on a farm, where a run into town was a 40 minute round trip. Nearly all the meat we ate was killed by my dad. I remember being surrounded by cows, pigs and chickens but they never figured largely in our evening meals. Mutton, however, seemed to always be there. I was a fussy eater as a child. Many a night I was left sitting in front of my plate with the fat slowly congealing around the cold mutton chop, the rest of the family having long since finished and left the table.
For many years I refused to eat anything sheep related. Somewhere along the line mutton was replaced by lamb, not that I could be convinced it was any better. Then I met Mr Grumpy, who loves lamb. It appears he passed this love onto The Princess, who is also quite partial to it. So now I cook lamb, albeit occasionally.
If I am going to eat lamb, it needs to be well spiced and seasoned. These koftas fit the bill perfectly. They are quick to put together, and the spices in the dukkah add great flavour to the meat. The koftas freeze well, so I will often make a batch to keep in the freezer for quick weekend lunches. I like to eat them wrapped in flatbreads, with salad and a drizzle of yoghurt or tahini (or both). They are equally good with cous cous. And if I spice them enough, I can pretend they aren’t lamb at all.
Easy Dukkah-Spiced Lamb Koftas
Add as much Dukkah as you would like to the meat. I have given you a starting range. Feel free to add more or less according to your tastes. The Dukkah should contain enough salt & pepper to season the meat.
Serve with flatbreads, yoghurt and salad.
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb mince
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2-3 Tablespoons Dukkah
Instructions
- Put the lamb mince into a medium size bowl.
- Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix thoroughly with you hands until the herbs and spices are evenly distributed through the meat.
- Divide the meat into 12 even sized balls, then shape into fat cigar shapes.
- Grill or BBQ the koftas for approximately 10 minutes, until they are browned and cooked through.
Love, love, love lamb [Yes, am an Aussie to boot 🙂 !] but have never made it with dukkah tho’ I user the latter regularly 🙂 ! Thanks for the tip!!!! But I DO agree with you on Vegemite . . . . thoroughly unAustralian of me too, I guess 😀 !!
I threw in the Dukkah once when I was trying to get dinner done quickly and it worked so well it is now my go to method for koftas. It’s always nice to find like minded people on the Vegemite subject 🙂
I love lamb and I am sure with these spices the taste was sensational 🙂
Thanks Tandy. There was enough garlic & spice to cover the lamb. I was happy 🙂
I’m completely with you. Lamb is cooked, ohh I would say every few years and if it is, it has been spiced within an inch of it’s little lamby life. The reason is, for one year of my childhood we lived on a farm where my dad would do some of the killing and butchering of the lamb/mutton. Lamb to me smells like a shearing shed, I don’t want to eat a shearing shed.
Bring on the spices I say!
Dad killed ours in the milking shed. Thankfully I have been able to separate those memories because I’m quite fond of milk 🙂 I’m glad I’m not alone on the lamb issue.
I’m so happy that I discovered your blog. Your last three posts will give me a great tasting meal. 🙂
Thank you so much for that Karen. That is exactly what I am hoping for so your comment made my day. Thank you for visiting.
I am from Canada and do not know what Dukkah is. Can you describe/explain it to me? Is it a spice?
Hi Patti, dukkah is a Middle Eastern spice mix. It is delicious on bread dipped in olive oil, and I also use it as a crust for salmon. It is very easy to make yourself, and you can find my recipe here. I hope that helps.