Description
A dish to share with friends – delicious kofta in tomato sauce on top of creamy yogurt cream. So good you want to eat it every day ;)
Ingredients
For the yogurt cream:
1/4 cucumber, peeled & finely grated
10.5 oz. (300g) Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
salt, pepper
For the kofta:
7 oz. (200g) bulgur (fine)
1/2 cup (120ml) hot vegetable stock
1/2 cup (65g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. harissa paste
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
For the tomato sauce:
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3–4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. harissa paste
2–3 spring onions, chopped
salt, pepper
some chopped parsley
some fresh lemon juice
some olive oil
Instructions
1. For the yogurt cream peel the cucumber, remove the seeds and grate finely. Wrap in some kitchen paper and press together to get rid of as much water as possible. Peel the garlic and mice very finely (or press through a garlic press).
2. Add the yogurt to a bowl. Add the grated cucumber, minced (or pressed) garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything until well combined. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour.
3. For the kofta add the bulgur to a bowl, add the (very) hot vegetable stock, mix, cover, and let sit for about 5 minutes so the bulgur can soften up.
4. Add the flour, tomato paste, harissa paste, cumin, and salt, and mix everything until well combined. Knead until everything sticks well together. Wet your hands and make small balls (slightly larger than a hazelnut) and press your (little) finger into the balls to create little craters – this takes some time I have to admit ;)
5. Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil. Add the kofta, reduce the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the kofta come up to the surface of the water.
6. While the kofta are cooking peel and chop the onion and garlic for the sauce coarsely. Heat up a large frying pan (over medium-high heat) with the olive oil, add the chopped onion and let cook until soft and slightly browned here and there. Add the chopped garlic and cook with the onion until fragrant. Add the tomato and harissa paste and mix with everything in the pan. Gradually add about 1-2 cups of the kofta cooking water and mix in to create a sauce. Let simmer for a moment and season with salt and pepper if necessary. As soon as the kofta are ready, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the pan with the sauce – be careful so they don’t break apart. Move slightly in the pan so everything is covered with the sauce. Add about 2/3 of the chopped spring onion and mix in.
7. Spread some of the yogurt cream on a large plate and pile the kofta on top. Sprinkle with some more spring onions, chopped parsley, and drizzle with some fresh lemon juice and olive oil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Enjoy cooking!