In our home, Lamb Kofta is one of the handiest dishes as it is quick to prepare and adapts to all seasons. In Summer, I serve this with flatbreads or pitta, wedges of lemon and salad. Side dishes include plain yoghurt, baba ganoush, yoghurt with mint, raita, roast vegetables (strips of red peppers and red onion) or all of them if we have company!

 In Winter, these Lamb Kofta are delicious served with pilau rice, steamed spinach or roasted vegetables (aubergine, red pepper and slivers of red onion) and a yoghurt accompaniment. It’s not the authentic way to serve them but it has got the thumbs up from the teen and many visitors (including the numerous au pairs who have wandered through our lives).

 Lamb Kofta

Ingredients
1lb lamb, minced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
¼ tsp cayenne pepper or 1 green chilli, chopped finely
½ rind of lemon, grated (more if you prefer)
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Place all ingredients in a bowl
2. Mix together thoroughly
3. The mix can be made in advance and left in the fridge until needed
4. Using a small ice cream scoop, measure out into equal meatball size
5. These can be fried as meatballs in a little sunflower oil for a few minutes on each side until brown. I prefer to put them on a tray with no oil in the oven at 180c for about 10 minutes
6. Alternatively, two meatballs can be moulded onto a skewer in a sausage shape and grilled. They should be grilled at a medium to hot heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side until brown
7. They are best served hot but can be eaten cold too.