The sun seems to be creeping back out this week - perfect weather for this tasty Spring dish, lamb koftas and halloumi, which is bloody delicious! My lamb koftas are a firm favourite here - packed with flavour, easy to make and a good for making a bulk amount ahead of time and freezing (which is super helpful when I'm only feeding one meat eater!) The vegetarian alternative of halloumi may seem like a bit of a cop out to some - as a veggie I'm used to being offered halloumi or mushroom or halloumi... or mushroom... but in my opinion, I can't get enough of halloumi. It's generally my go-to meat substitute, but for this dish it's particularly fab as it's at least from the same cuisine!
The fresh tomato salad on the side and tangy yoghurt dressing really bring it all together beautifully.
A little tip on prep for this dish - chop all the mint first. For me it's the only slightly annoying fiddly bit as you want it chopped nice and finely. Once sorted you can portion it out easily between the three elements of the dish that require it. I tend to get a small pack of mint from the supermarket and chop the whole lot - if there's a bit left over then whack it in with the salad and/ or dressing for a little extra minty-ness, or make some fresh mint tea.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the koftas:
500g lamb mince
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tbsp chopped mint
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
Oil for cooking
Veggie alternative:
1 pack of halloumi
2 garlic cloves, minced
For the tomato salad:
1 pack of piccolo tomatoes (or any sweet cherry tomato variety)
2 tbsp chopped mint
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
For the yoghurt dressing:
150g plain or greek yoghurt
juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp chopped mint
220g rice to serve (I use brown rice)
1 red pepper
Method
1. First get your rice cooking - cover with water, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for the amount of time specified on the packet. For the brown rice I use it's 25 minutes (which is why I get it on first). If using white rice, this will be quicker, so cover to keep warm when done. Chop the red pepper into chunks and fry in olive oil for a few minutes until soft, then set to one side. Add to the rice once cooked and drained.
2. Now prepare the salad - cut the tomatoes into halves or quarters, whisk the oil and lemon juice in a bowl, add the seasoning and chopped mint, then add to the tomatoes and mix.
2. For the yoghurt dressing - mix the yoghurt, lemon juice and mint to combine and place in the fridge while you prepare the koftas.
3. To make the koftas - mix all ingredients together until well combined. Divide the mixture into eight and form balls, flatten slightly for easier cooking. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the koftas on a medium heat until cooked through - about 3-4 minutes on either side. If you're making the veggie alternative, slice the halloumi and fry in a very small amount of olive oil until nicely browned on each side, adding the garlic a minute or two before they're done.
4. Now you're ready to serve! Mix the peppers through the rice Pop the koftas/ halloumi on top of your rice and pepper mix, add the tomato salad on the side and drizzle the yoghurt dressing generously over it all.
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