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Serving Chicken Koftas
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Chicken Kofta

Packed with herbs and served with a delicious homemade tomato sauce and zesty lemon yoghurt, these super simple Chicken Kofta are the perfect easy summer supper.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Servings: 2 Servings
Author: Margie

Ingredients

For the chicken kofta:

  • 12 basil leaves
  • 2 spring onions roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 small handful of dill
  • 1 small handful of parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for cooking
  • 500 g chicken mince
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 15 g Parmesan grated
  • 30 g panko breadcrumbs

For the tomato and chilli sauce:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • ½ red chilli finely chopped (deseeded, if wished)
  • 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • ½ tsp salt

For the garlic yoghurt:

  • 100 g full-fat Greek yoghurt
  • 1 fat clove garlic crushed
  • juice of ½ lemon or to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To serve:

  • Rice
  • Flaked almonds
  • Fresh dill and parsley

Instructions

To make the chicken kofta: 

  • Pop the basil, spring onions, garlic, dill, parsley and olive oil in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. 
  • Place the chicken mince into a large bowl and add the blitzed herb mixture. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the grated Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs. Stir well to combine.
  • Wet your hands, then press the mixture together and roll into koftas - they can be round or oblong. Place on a plate, cover with cling film and pop in the fridge to firm up for about 20 minutes. Get on with the rice and sauce, if making.
  • To cook the chicken koftas: heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan set over a medium heat. Add the koftas and cook for about 8-10 minutes, turning often, until golden on all sides and cooked through.

To make the tomato and chilli sauce & garlic yoghurt: 

  • For the tomato and chilli sauce: heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once hot, add the chopped shallot. Season and fry gently for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until starting to soften.
  • Add the garlic and chilli and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until garlic is fragrant - you don't want it to brown or it will burn and become bitter. 
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir together and half fill the empty tin of tomatoes with water, swirl it round to get all the remaining tomato in the tin, then add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, then continue to simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is reduced, thickened and glossy. Season to taste with salt. Remove from the heat and set aside ready to reheat before serving. 

For the garlic yoghurt:

  • Combine the yoghurt, garlic and lemon juice together in a bowl. Season well with salt, to taste. Set aside to serve (or cover and chill in the fridge if prepping ahead).
  • Serve the koftas with fluffy rice, topped with a drizzle of the garlic yoghurt, alongside the warm tomato sauce, sprinkle with flaked almonds and fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Notes

Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make chicken kofta. 
To store: Once cooked, cool and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat: I would reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, until piping hot all the way through. The microwave stops it from drying out.
To freeze: Yes, you can freeze them once formed, either cooked or raw, for up to 2 months. Freeze well wrapped in clingfilm or in an airtight container. When ready to use, thaw and then cook as usual if you froze them raw. If you froze them cooked, reheat in the microwave or fry quickly in the pan just to heat through. This will take less time than cooking them from raw.
Make ahead: you can mix and roll the kofta up to a day in advance. Just cover tightly and keep in the fridge overnight. Then bring to room temperature and fry when ready.
Wet hands: running your hands under a little water before shaping the koftas will make it so much easier (and much less messy!).
Serving suggestion: I have served this with rice but you could also opt for flatbread or couscous.