Smashed Kofta Pockets

I had an amazing kofta sandwich on my last trip to Paris and I was starting to miss It. Recreated it with some herbs from my Grobrix, and sharing my version with you!

This recipe will satisfy my craving for now. But if you ever find yourself in Paris, I highly recommend stopping by Zinzin for their street food sandwiches and their heavenly za'atar chocolate cookies!

Their €12 sandwiches deliver a mouthwatering punch, far beyond our typical ham and cheese offerings. They also have a sibling restaurant right next door called Gargouille which serves amazing dishes bursting with Mediterranean flavours.

THE RECIPE

SERVES 4 POCKET HALVES

Ingredients

Kofta patty (adapted from Jerusalem by Ottolenghi; makes 6-7 kofta patties)

  • 100g ground lamb (shoulder)

  • 100g ground beef (non stewing)

  • 1 small onion (~70g), roughly chopped

  • 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

  • 15g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

  • 1 red chilli padi, roughly chopped

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

  • ½ tsp hot paprika

  • ½ tsp sweet paprika

  • ½ tsp pepper

  • ½ tsp salt

Filling

  • 20g sun dried tomato, sliced

  • 40g cheddar cheese, sliced

  • ¼ red onion, thinly sliced

  • Small handful of dill

  • 4 tbsp hummus

Yoghurt sauce

  • 3 tbsp greek yoghurt

  • 3 sliced jalapeño, chopped

  • 3 tsp, fresh dill, torn

  • 1 garlic clove, grated

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

  • Pinch salt

  • Pinch pepper


  • 2 pita breads, halved

  • 2 tbsp cooking oil

Directions

  1. To make the kofta: first blend the onion, garlic, chilli, parsley in a food processor until it resembles a paste.

  2. In a medium sized bowl, add the paste and all the remaining kofta ingredients. Mix well until it comes together. Shape them into small balls and keep them chilled until you are ready to cook them.

  3. In a hot and well oiled frying pan, place the meat balls and gently smash them down with a spatula. Cook for about 2 minutes on one side, or until ¾ cooked. Flip the patty and continue cooking another 30s on the other side. Once cooked, remove and set aside.

  4. To make the yoghurt sauce: mix all ingredients in a small bowl until it well combined. Set this aside.

  5. Right before assembling the pockets, gently warm up the pita halves on a pan or in a toaster.

  6. To assemble, spread one side of the pocket with the yoghurt sauce, the other side with hummus. Slot in the patties, cheese, red onion, sun-dried tomatoes and dill, and top it off with additional hummus or yoghurt sauce if you like.

Nutrition

Per serving

Calories: 464kcal
Carbohydrates: 46g
Protein: 24g
Fat: 19g
Sugar: 8.8g
Sodium: 940.17mg
Fibre: 3.7g


DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Don't forget to snap a photo, and tag me on Instagram or Facebook!

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