Auch Ay Lassies!! – These Koftas are to die for !! 🙂
Never clean out the pan!! Use it the following eve to make up the most delish gravy for your bangers and mash or make meatballs with gravy.
Kofta Kebabs with Probiotic Tzatziki Sauce made from lean ground beef mince served with pita breads, a cucumber garlicky yogurt sauce and a sambal salad of diced tomato, onion and cucumber or if feeling lazy just make the most delicious sausage rolls (kofta spiced – raw mince) encased in puff pastry, baked in preheated oven at highest temp, dropping temp to prevent burning gets the most puff out of pastry. Always handle pastry chilled (cold). Remember puff pastry must always be kept chilled. Do not allow the heat of your hands to melt the fat layers within for it is that which together with the initial burst of heat that gives the “puff”.
Kofta are kebabs made with ground meat, beef, lamb or chicken – Into my mince I include some dried red chili flakes, green & black peppercorns ground in coffee mill.You may use Chicken tenders (brined / marinated fillets) or minced lamb. If you don’t have a meat mincer, you may use your food processor with metal blade on. Use your pulse button until coarsely minced or ground to your liking.Koftas or Hamburger Patties or Meatballs on a stick
So juicy and springy in texture you just want to bite right into them straight off the grill !!
Kofta Kebabs – Meat on a Stick (meatballs) with Kofta Spice Mix:
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
450 g beef chuck or lamb (Bought lean beef mince is what I used)
3 tablespoons grated onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for brushing the grill
To Serve: Flat grilled pita breads and Tzatziki Sauce Recipe for pita breads and Tzatziki Sauce follow. See bottom of page or you may even use bought hamburger buns if you wish.
Method: (Meatballs – Kofta or Hamburger Patties)
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 or place whole into food processor together with (I prefer fresh ginger) freshly chopped ginger and chopped onion, metal blade on and whiz until smooth 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 or any size you require. 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 or you may just make meatballs or even hamburgers. 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 or you may back on wire rack in oven as meatballs or hamburger patties. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with tzatziki and flat pita bread.
Tzatziki Sauce: Greek Yogurt and cucumber
Note: I include the roasted ground spices below in my Tzatziki Sauce
Ingredients:
1/2 cup seeded, shredded cucumber
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain yogurt – I always use my lovely thick Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar (optional) I do not add lemon, vinegar or oil to mine
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon Greek seasoning
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method:
Toss shredded cucumber with 1 teaspoon salt. Allow to sit for 5
minutes.
In medium bowl, mix yogurt, sour cream, 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
rice vinegar and olive oil if using. Season with garlic, fresh dill, and……
Greek seasoning – Recipe below……
Squeeze the cucumber to remove any excess water; stir into sauce. Season to taste
with kosher salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Place pita rounds on the grill, and cook for about 2 minutes, until warm, turning
frequently to avoid burning. Arrange warmed pita, meat, lettuce, onion, tomato,
olives, and pepperoncini or pickled jalapeno’s or gherkins whichever you prefer on a serving platter. Serve tzatziki sauce and feta cheese in
separate bowls on the side. Stuff pita pockets with chicken and toppings to serve.
Source: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/72114/chicken-souvlaki-gyro-style/ _______________________________________________________
Strain your yogurt through a fine meshed sieve around 20 minutes or more if you have a dairy allergy and upon the thick consistency of Greek Yogurt you may whip it. I use a stick blender for this. It will thicken further upon refrigeration. Note: Homemade NOT shop bought.
Method:
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.
I made the roll myself – Recipe at bottom or you my make pita breads
To Serve:
4 large pita bread rounds
1 heart of romaine lettuce, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 tomato, halved and sliced
1/2 cup kalamata olives (optional) or use gherkins if you prefer
1/2 cup cayenne or jalapeno peppers (optional) or to taste if you like heat
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchens Cookbook, Meredith Books, October
2003
Above recipe sourced: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network–
kitchens/kofta-kebabs-with-tzatziki-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Absolutely the most divine Tzatziki Sauce – You can’t go wrong as long as you don’t overdo the garlic even if you are a garlic lover!
All purpose Greek Spice Seasoning blend Recipe 1:
Delish seasoning for skewered meat, lamb, chicken, or beef. Also delicious mixed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for salad dressing. Cooking time is the time to mix up your spice mix.
INGREDIENTS:
3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried mint
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried onion (minced)
2 teaspoons dried garlic (minced)
METHOD:
Mix everything together and store in an airtight spice jar.
*********************************************
Greek Seasoning Substitute Recipe 2:
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried Greek oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Method:
I skip the cornstarch and make sufficient for my needs fresh.
Mix salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, cinnamon, black pepper, parsley, rosemary, dill, marjoram, cornstarch (optional) , thyme, and nutmeg in a bowl. Store in an airtight container. Alternately, blend spices in a spice grinder for a finer texture. Keeps for one year. Source ? Yet to find somewhere on the net ?
PITA BREAD~PIZZA~VETKOEK~ LOVELY!!
Ingredients:
25 ml instant yeast (1 sachet)
20 ml castor sugar
300 ml lukewarm water (no more than 27%)
800 ml cake flour (measured as unsifted)
15 ml sunflower oil
7.5 ml salt
Method: ·
Preheat oven to 250%C (500%F). · Mix the yeast, sugar and water. · Add 250 ml of the flour sifted in. · Leave in a warm place till doubled in size. (I usually put in oven on berg wind condition, no more than 27%C, covered with a damp cloth) · Temperature during the rising stage must not get any hotter, as this will kill off the yeast · Activation! · Sift in remaining flour. · Add remaining ingredients and knead well. · Cover and leave till doubled in bulk. · Knock back lightly and cut into 8 equal pieces. · Shape each piece into a 150 mm diameter circle. · Place on a floured baking sheet and leave until doubled in bulk. · Bake for 5-10 minutes, until a pale straw colour. · Place on a wire rack, cover with a clean kitchen towel and cool. · Cut off the top third of each pita bread and fill the hollow with your favourite filling and sauce…~goes very well served as Beef Koftas or Slovakia…slices of marinated lamb with garlicky tzatziki sauce spooned over, added to this, shredded lettuce, chopped onion and tomato, all spooned into pita ~ See recipe for Slovakia page… Cooks Note! Dough can also be used to make 1 large and 1 medium pizza… or 1 large loaf of bread and 3 mini loaves… or 8 Vetkoek (shaped like a bun) which you will then need to deep-fry at 160%C~( cut a pocket in Vetkoek and fill with curry mince ~ See recipe page…(known as curry bunnies). ________________________________________________
Homemade Probiotic Greek Yogurt – My Own
Homemade Greek yogurt can be stored, refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Total Weight: 9.886kg – Total Calories: 6,962
Ingredients:
9 liters whole milk
520 g cream
45 ml salt
200 ml yogurt, plain (Jersey milk)
Total Weight: 9.886kg Total Calories: 6,962
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