Keftas, from North Africa, are meatballs prepared with ground lamb or beef
and a number of herbs and spices. They appear in a variety of dishes, such
as stews, and also as brochettes hot off the charcoal grill. The seasonings
range from chili to cinnamon and usually include a Moroccan favorite, fresh
mint. These keftas are delicious served with pita bread, low-fat yogurt,
tomatoes and lettuce or with cooked rice. Note: If using wooden skewers,
soak them in water for 20 minutes.
Combine all ingredients, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24
hours. Shape into 30 1 1/2-inch meatballs and thread them on six skewers.
(You may slightly flatten them to make sausage shapes or leave them as
balls.)
Prepare a gas grill or charcoal fire. Grill for 3 minutes on each side, or
just until no longer pink inside. Alternatively, broil the meatballs for 2
minutes on each side.
176 calories per serving: 15 g protein, 12 g fat, 3 g carbohydrate; 227 mg
sodium; 0 mg cholesterol.
From The Whole Chile Pepper Book by Dave De Witt and Nancy Gerlach.
Copyright 1990 by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach. Reprinted by permission of
Little, Brown and Company (Inc).
Lamb Burgers In Pita With Yogurt Sauce
2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 medium onion; chopped
1/2 cucumber; peeled, seeded, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 lb ground lamb
2/3 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
1/2 medium onion; chopped
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
4 pita bread rounds; top 1/4 trimmed from each
4 lettuce leaves
Called tzatziki in Greece, this yogurt sauce can also be used on a baked
potato as a nonfat alternative to sour cream. To prevent the pita bread in
this recipe from getting soggy, place the trimmed portion of the bread down
into the pocket to act as a sponge for the lamb drippings and yogurt.
Mix first 5 ingredients together in medium bowl. Season yogurt sauce to
taste with salt and pepper.
Mix lamb and next 5 ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Season
generously with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 3/4-inch-thick
patties.
Preheat broiler. Place lamb patties on broiler rack and broil until cooked
through, about 4 minutes per side.
Open pita bread rounds; line bottoms with trimmed tops, if desired. Place
lettuce, burger, then large spoonful of yogurt sauce in each round. Serve,
passing sauce separately.
4 Servings
From: Bon Appétit April 1995
Lamb Or Beef Mince Samosas
----FILLING----
1 tablespoon ghee
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
250 gm minced beef or lamb
1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or coriander leaves
1 oil for frying
----DOUGH----
225 gm plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon oil
1 approx. 100ml hot water
1 oil for deep frying
1. To make the filling, heat the ghee in a saucepan and fry garlic, ginger
and half the onion until onion is soft. Add curry powder, salt, vinegar,
mix well. Add minced beef or lamb and fry over a high heat, stirring
constantly until meat changes colour. Turn heat down and add hot water.
Cover pan and cook until meat is tender and all the liquid has been
absorbed.
2. Towards end of cooking, stir frequently to prevent meat from sticking to
base of pan. Sprinkle with garam masala and chopped mint or coriander,
remove from heat and allow to cool. Mix in the reserved chopped onion.
3. To make the dough, sieve together the flour and salt. Rub in the oil.
Add enough water to form a stiff dough. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth.
4. Divide into 12 balls. Roll each ball into a round of about 15cm/6"
across. Cut in half.
5. Pick up one half, flatten it slightly and form a cone, sealing the
overlapping edge with a little water. Fill the cone with 1.5 tsp of the
filling and seal the top with a little water.
6. Make all the samosas in the same way.
7. Heat the oil in a karahi(wok) over medium heat. Put as many samosas as
you can into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden. Drain. Serve with
a chutney or your favourite chilli or tomato sauce.
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