Wrapped in warm Middle Eastern spices, these gluten free lamb koftas are hearty and filling!

Yield: A dozen
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Gluten Free Lamb Koftas & Couscous with Homemade Hummus

These Middle Eastern-inspired lamb koftas are brimming with flavor! They've got a very mild sweetness and the allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg give them a warmth and depth that almost borders on smokiness.  I paired them with simple, out of the pack couscous flavored with spices and peppers and served a hearty homemade hummus to bring everything together to make a quick, gluten free weeknight meal.

The first time I had a kofta, I was in London, eating in an unforgettable family-run Greek restaurant alongside the Thames, just feet away from Shakespeare's Globe Theater. A friend (who had lived in Greece a few months) and I lined our tummies with platter after platter of delicious mezze in a restaurant tucked partially beneath Southwark Bridge. The food was good and I've had a taste for koftas ever since, but the ones I'm sharing with you today aren't Greek. They're more Middle Eastern; just to keep you on your toes.

Koftas are popular in Greece, Cyprus, Pakistan, India, Iran and Turkey and each culture puts its own unique spin on them. Koftas are basically grilled/broiled or baked meatballs shaped like sausages and filled with spices, herbs and pine nuts. Traditionally, koftas are threaded onto long metal skewers and grilled indoor or outdoor, (or cooked in a Tandoor in India) but I opted to do mine in the oven and they turned out delicious and juicy. And if you're not big on lamb, you can substitute for any mince you prefer: veal, venison, beef, chicken, pork.

Ingredients:

For the hummus
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons water
200 grams chickpeas
salt
 
For the koftas & couscous
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
30 grams parsley
50 grams pine nuts,chopped
500 grams lamb mince
salt
pepper
a pack of couscous

Gluten Free Lamb Koftas & Couscous with Homemade Hummus

Instructions:

1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse.
2. Pour the chickpeas, cumin, garlic, coriander, lemon juice, water and salt into a food processor and blitz until your desired consistency and texture is achieved.
3. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
4. Scoop into a serving dish and drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle over the paprika. Refrigerate until needed.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C /350F.
6. Combine all of the ingredients for the koftas together with your hands in a large bowl.
7. Divide the mixture evenly and shape into sausage-like shapes that aren't too thick.
8. Place each kofta in a baking dish in one layer. It is fine if they are touching.
9. Drizzle over a bit of olive oil and bake in the oven turning once for 15 minutes or until cooked through. The koftas will produce a lot of oil when cooking, so as soon as they are ready, be prepared to drain off the oil and remove the koftas from the dish.
10. Make the couscous according to the instructions on the packet while the koftas cook.
11. Serve with the homemade hummus.