Turkish kofta casserole recipe

Serves 4

15 mins prep
25 mins cook
20 mins marinate

Lamb and couscous kofta are simmered in a rich, fragrant tomato sauce for a mouth-watering and easy family dinner idea. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and Lebanese pita bread for a winning dish.

Ingredients

Casserole
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red capsicum, seeded, sliced
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground sumac
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp currants
2 x 400g cans diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 carrots, peeled, julienne
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
chopped parsley, lemon wedges, lebanese bread, to serve

Kofta
2/3 cup couscous
2/3 cup boiling water
500 g lamb mince
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp currants
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground sumac

Steps

Turkish kofta casserole

1. Preheat oven to hot, 200°C.

2. Make kofta; in a heatproof bowl, combine couscous and boiling water. Cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork to separate grains. In a large bowl, combine couscous with remaining ingredients. Using 1/4 cup measure, shape into 16 mini koftas. Chill until required.

3. In a large, flameproof casserole dish, heat oil on medium. Brown koftas in 3 batches for 2-3 minutes each. Transfer to a plate.

4. In same pan, saute capsicum, onion, garlic and spices for 1-2 minutes until tender. Stir in currants.

5. Return koftas to pan with tomatoes and stock. Top with carrots and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

6. Sprinkle kofta with pine nuts and parsley. Serve accompanied with lemon wedges and Lebanese bread.

Tips
If preferred, use a 700g bottle of tomato passata instead of diced tomatoes and add some dried chilli flakes for a bit of heat.