Turkey Kofta
Juicy turkey kofta with aromatic herbs & spices served with fresh cucumber & tomatoes
Simple to make and super tasty. Inspired by the newest blend, Moroccan Spice.
A kofta is like a meatball or mini meatloaf. It can be found in South Asian, Central Asian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines. You can use different types of ground meats like beef, chicken, lamb, pork or turkey. I like to use ground turkey because it has a good moisture content and a mild flavour so you can really taste the spices you put into your koftas. You can really do whatever shape you like! The smaller and flatter you make them, the quicker they will cook. I like to roll them into a ball and then flatten them with the bottom of a glass so they have a nice even layer to get crispy.
When mixing your kofta there are many variations on what you can use for binding. This recipe is a play on your classic “meatloaf” using panko and egg as the binder. Some preparation methods use bulgur and meat vs egg mixtures.
You can fry, bake, steam, boil or grill your kofta. In the summer grilling your kofta over a charcoal fire gives it a true char taste. I use my air fry option on my oven so that it gets a little crispy on the outside. You can also bake the kofta but it doesn’t get as crispy when using turkey due to the low fat content.
Either add in veggies and onions to your meat mixture or leave it be just meat and spices. I like to sneak in veggies whenever and wherever I can. Simply sauté your vegetables of choice with half the amount of spice blend you would use in the meat mixture and remember to taste your veggie mix. Always let your hot food cool completely before mixing it into raw meat. If you want to save time you can sauté a large batch of veggies with just some salt and pepper and then dish out what you don’t need for your koftas to save for another meal.
Have fun and get creative with using your own herbs and spices in this one. Fresh is always best. If you can get your hands on some fresh parsley or cilantro, I find it really helps elevate the flavours.
Turkey Kofta
Ingredients:
1 package ground turkey
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup finely diced white onion
1/4 cup diced celery
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup panko
1 egg
1 tbsp Moroccan Spice Blend
salt & pepper
2 tbsp fresh minced parsley
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped cucumber
Directions:
Add diced veggies to a sauté pan with tallow and cook 2-3 min
Add 1/2 spices and 1/2 tbsp garlic to sautéed veggies and cook down until onions are translucent
Remove from pan and cool completely
Turn on oven to 400F (air fry mode)
In large bowl add ground turkey, bread crumbs, egg, veggies, 1/2 tbsp garlic, remaining spices, fresh parsley and mix until just combined
Shape koftas into 8-12 round balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Press down the koftas using the bottom of a drinking glass until they are about 1/2 inch thick. You could also free hand them into oblong patties (note cooking time will take longer the larger you make your kofta)
Bake for 25-30min
Remove from oven and cool on a wire baking rack so they stay crispy.
Serve with fresh olives, cucumber, tomatoes and garden veggie dip.
