Lamb Kofta with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

Lamb mince is profoundly underrated in my opinion - it's so full of flavour, often costs less than other mince and pairs wonderfully with herbs and spices like we have here. Don't be afraid of the fat content: fat means flavour! And anyway, I pour off the excess fat in this recipe so you're only left with a little bit to keep your kofta juicy.

The sauce plays on the sweet and sour flavours of honey and red wine vinegar together with tomatoes and dried oregano. The kofta themselves are spiced with ground ginger and cumin as well as sweet, softened onions and pine nuts. The result is a symphony of textures and flavours that will have you going back for more.

Lamb Kofta with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped oil 
2 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp ground cumin 

500g lamb mince 

3 tbsp pine nuts 

400g tin plum tomatoes

2 tsp honey

2 tsp red wine vinegar 

1 tsp dried oregano

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fry the onion in a little oil until it’s soft and translucent, then add the ginger and cumin and stir for a minute. Cool and then add half of the mixture to the mince along with the 2 tbsp pine nuts and season well.

Divide it into 24 and roll each lump into a neat ball between your hands. Fry them in a little oil until they brown all over (you might need to do this in batches). Transfer to a plate while you make the sauce.

Pour out any excess fat/oil from the frying pan then put in the rest of the onion mix together with the tin of tomatoes, honey, vinegar and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Next, add the kofta back in together with any resting juices. Cook for 10 minutes then scatter over the remaining pine nuts as well as the dried oregano. Serve with pita bread for dipping in, if you like.