Lamb kofta lettuce wraps

Juicy spiced parcels of protein, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory goodness that use lettuce instead of bread. Adding yogurt, nuts and fresh herbs makes this Mediterranean-inspired dish tick all the nutritional boxes.

Difficulty easy
Cooking time less than 30 minutes
Serves 4

By Ngaire Hobbins and Michelle Crawford - Better Brain Food

Ingredients

Kofta
400g (14 oz) minced (ground) lamb
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon dried mint
olive oil, for frying kofta
260g (9¼ oz/1 cup) Greek-style yoghurt
8 large cos (romaine) lettuce leaves

Salad
40g (1½ oz/¼ cup) hazelnuts (filberts), toasted, skins removed and roughly chopped
65g (2½ oz/½ cup) crumbled feta cheese
2 large tomatoes, chopped
handful of fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. For the kofta, use your hands to knead together the lamb mince and the spices, garlic, lemon zest and mint until really well blended. Divide into eight portions and roll into football-shaped ovals with your hands. Put them on a plate in the fridge while you make the salad.

2. To make the salad, put all of the ingredients in a small bowl and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Heat a barbecue, chargrill pan or frying pan to medium–high heat and smear with a little olive oil. Add the koftas and cook for 3–4 minutes. Don’t move them until a crust develops, then turn over and cook each side. Remove from the heat.

4. To assemble, place a spoonful of yogurt onto each lettuce leaf, add a spoonful of salad and top with a kofta. Fold the lettuce around the filling and eat.