Description
This Chicken Kofta with Yogurt Sauce recipe features flavorful spiced ground chicken meatballs, pan-seared to a golden crust and served with a refreshing cumin-spiced yogurt sauce. Accompanied by pita bread, sliced red onions, and fresh tomato wedges, this dish offers a delightful blend of Middle Eastern spices and textures perfect for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Kofta
- 2 lbs Ground Chicken
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3/4 cups Pine Nuts
- 1 small Yellow Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Sumac
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 3/4 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 cup Parsley, minced
- Olive Oil (for cooking, quantity as needed)
Yogurt Sauce
- 1 cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 clove Garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1 Lemon, juiced
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Parsley, minced
To Serve
- Pita Bread
- Red Onion, thinly sliced
- Tomato, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Toast Pine Nuts and Prepare Mixture: Toast the pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Then pulse the toasted pine nuts in a food processor together with the onion and parsley until finely chopped and combined.
- Combine Kofta Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken with the spiced pine nut mixture along with garlic, kosher salt, cardamom, cinnamon, ground cloves, sumac, nutmeg, paprika, cumin, and minced parsley. Ensure all ingredients are thoroughly combined for even flavor.
- Form Kofta Meatballs: Using a 3-tablespoon measure, scoop out portions of the mixture and shape them into oval or round meatballs. Set aside on a plate ready for cooking.
- Cook Kofta: Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kofta meatballs and allow them to sear without moving until a crust forms and they release cleanly, about 5 minutes. Turn them carefully and sear on all sides, cooking for an additional 10 minutes total. If they begin to brown too quickly or become too crisp, reduce heat to medium to avoid burning.
- Make Yogurt Sauce: In a bowl, mix together plain yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, ground cumin, lemon juice, kosher salt, and minced parsley. Refrigerate the sauce while the kofta cooks to let flavors meld.
- Serve: Plate the cooked kofta and drizzle generously with the chilled yogurt sauce. Serve alongside warm pita bread, thinly sliced red onions, and wedges of fresh tomato for a complete meal.
Notes
- To ensure even cooking, do not overcrowd the pan when cooking the kofta; cook in batches if necessary.
- For best texture, toast pine nuts just until fragrant, avoiding burning.
- You can substitute ground turkey for chicken if preferred.
- Leftover kofta can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
- Adjust lemon juice in the yogurt sauce to taste for desired tanginess.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (includes kofta and yogurt sauce, excluding pita and vegetables)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 420 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 36 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
