Lamb Kofta Meatballs with Braised Kale

Written by Rebecca Peters-Golden

Today, I’m finally ready to share my S&M confessions–um, that’s spaghetti and meatballs, y’all. It’s a surprisingly polarizing issue!

To some, it’s a classic comfort food; to others–me included–it’s just a pile of pasta and some dense, tasteless meat blobs.

I know, I know, if you’ve had authentic Italian meatballs it’s totally different. But, as a 10-year-old, when I first realized that I thought the dish was totally overrated, I hadn’t.

And even now that I have eaten meatballs at lovely restaurants in Italy . . . I’m just not a big fan.

Part of it is that I don’t like the meat plus tomato combination that’s the hallmark of most meatball dishes. And part of it is that ground beef and veal, which form the base of many Italian meatballs, aren’t my favorites.

But that’s not to say I steer clear of all meatballs. The Italian-style meatball is, of course, only one of many variations found in cuisines all over the world.

In Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cooking, kofta or kefta, from the Persian verb meaning “to grind,” are more often prepared using lamb or mutton. (Versions of kofta grilled on sticks are called kebabs.)

Instead of the breadcrumbs or egg typically featured in Italian meatballs, in kofta, the meat is mixed with onion, garlic, and herbs, which makes them tender and very light.

Kofta meatballs are flavorful and infinitely versatile, and have totally become the meatballs of choice in my kitchen.

My favorite way to prepare kofta is to use a technique I learned from Indian cooking. Instead of mincing onion, garlic, and herbs by hand before mixing them with the meat, I use the food processor to blend them into a paste.

This serves a dual purpose: the paste mixes incredibly well with the meat, getting flavor throughout the kofta, and it adds moisture, so you don’t need bread or egg to bind them.

The kofta meatballs are great on their own, but make a flavorful sauce and add some veggies and you have a tagine, a North African dish that resembles a stew.

Named for the Arabic word for the earthenware pot in which it’s prepared, a tagine is a one-pot delight, my favorite kind of dish, full of bold flavors and fresh herbs, and easy to mop up with a thick piece of bread.

The recipe below makes about 30 smallish kofta meatballs, enough to make a tagine for four people.

It’s an easy recipe to double if you’re cooking for more people, though. Just keep a ratio of about 1 part veg to 2 parts meatballs for your tagine and you’ll be fine.

And, of course, you can add additional veggies and increase your liquid.

Editor’s Note:

By no means is it necessary to own a traditional clay tagine (as pictured here) to make this dish. It will be just as good if you make it in your favorite sauté pan or deep skillet.

However, if you do decide to use a tagine dish, remember that it should only be used over low heat for slow stovetop cooking–so it’s best to brown your meatballs and start the stew part of the tagine in a separate pan that can handle searing over high heat.

Once you’ve cooked the meatballs and browned the onions and garlic, deglaze the pan with a bit of water and transfer everything to the tagine to finish the dish.

Lamb Kofta Meatballs with Braised Kale

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

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Ingredients

Kofta (Lamb Meatballs)

• 1/2 of a medium-sized onion (any color)
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small handful fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 small handful fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 pound ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Tagine

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup water + additional water as needed
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed and torn into bite-size pieces

For servings

• about 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
• juice of half a lemon
• pita, flatbread, or buttered bread, for serving

Instructions

Make the kofta:

1. Blend the onion, garlic, parsley, mint, salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, paprika, chili powder, and mustard powder in a food processor for about 30 seconds until you have a chunky paste. 
2. Transfer the paste to a medium bowl.
3. With your hands, mix the paste with the lamb.
4. Form into small meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. 
5. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide, high-sided pan over medium heat until shimmering. 
6. Add the meatballs and cook just until browned on all sides.
7. Remove from the pan and set aside to rest. You'll be putting them back in your sauce to cook more, so you don't need to cook them all the way through. 

Make the tagine:

1. Heat another tablespoon olive oil in the pan.
2. Add the onion and garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft, scraping up all those lovely brown bits from the kofta. 
3. Add the turmeric, salt, pepper, and 1 cup water, and bring to a boil. 
4. Simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit. 
5. Add the kale and cover. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
6. Put the kofta back into the pan and add up to 1/2 cup more water as needed to keep the stew saucy. 
7. Simmer until the kale is tender enough for your liking, 4-5 minutes more.
8. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a handful of chopped parsley and you have a dreamy one-pot meal that tastes even better the second day. 
9. Sop up that delicious sauce with pita, flatbread, or buttered bread.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 525Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 858mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 11gProtein: 27g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate.

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