Open Kofta

As part of our Mini MasterChef competition, Master C (aged 11.11yrs) treated us to open Kofta’s, inspired by the MasterClass recipe. You can watch the MasterClass video demonstration and/or download the printable pdf version of the recipe.

Miss A (aged 18yrs) taught him how to do the entire meal. Next time he prepares it, he will do it completely by himself but under supervision.
(I’m not too great with taking photos, nor uploading them to the web so apologies in advance)

Ingredients
1 tbs coriander seeds
1 tbs cumin seeds
4 French shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 bunch coriander
500g topside beef mince
1 lemon, rind finely grated
1 egg
5 tbs soft white breadcrumbs
1 tbs seeded mustard
1 piece pita bread
½ small red onion, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt
2 baby cucumbers
Thick Greek yoghurt, coriander sprigs & deep fried shallots, to serve

Method

Toasting the seeds

Spoon coriander and cumin seeds into a frying pan and toast over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

Grinding spices produces a gorgeous aroma

Tip into a mortar and use pestle to finely grind the warm spices.

Cooking onions

Cover base of frying pan with olive oil and add shallots and garlic, cook over low heat until soft and translucent. Spoon into a bowl and refrigerate until cold. Wash coriander root well then finely chop 6cm of the root and stem, set top half of the bunch aside for later.

Grating the lemon rind

Lightly beating the eggs

Mix meat, onions & spices

Combine mince, lemon rind, egg, breadcrumbs, mustard, shallot and garlic mixture, spices and salt and pepper in a bowl. Use clean hands to mix until well combined. Preheat oven grill to medium-high.

Uncooked and assembled

Press beef mixture onto a 22cm round flat bread, leaving a 1cm border around the outer edge.

Lightly cook underside of pita bread

Heat a little oil in an ovenproof frying pan over medium heat, add pita bread and cook 1 minute. Transfer the pan to the oven and grill 4-5 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from the oven. Check the under-side of the bread is golden and crisp if not cook a few minutes on the stove top over high heat.

Dress with yoghurt and salad

Meanwhile, finely slice the onion into a bowl using a mandolin. Season with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Thinly slice the cucumbers on the angle and place into a bowl. Season with salt and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

A finished open kofta

Remove the kofta from the pan. Spread generously with yoghurt. Top with onion salad, cucumber, coriander sprigs and deep fried shallots to serve.

Open Beef Kofta on Grilled Mushroom

Miss A and I preferred not to have a pita bread so we used a large mushroom instead. It was yummy but obviously a different texture to a pita bread.

Our recipe book

We all love this meal. It is fairly quick and easy, not too expensive but also nutritious. The recipe uses a lot of meat whereas we work on approximately 100grams of meat per person. There is minimal cleanup after the meal, which is always a bonus. Whatever you do, do not skip the toasting of the seeds and spices. Oh, the aroma is just divine- a true sensory experience!

Oh yes! Master C scored pretty well on this dish. 

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