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5.0 from 27 votes

Mini Lamb Koftas with Pomegranate Wine Sauce

Mini Lamb Koftas with Pomegranate Wine Sauce is a delicious appetizer inspired by one of the Middle East’s favorite meatballs!

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Chilling time
30 mins
Servings: 16 meatballs
Calories: 154 kcal
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Ingredients

For the koftas
  • 1 egg
  • 1 medium onion very finely minced
  • 1 shallot very finely minced
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed and minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh coriander (cilantro)
  • 2 Tbsp minced fresh mint
  • 1 lb lean ground lamb
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup wheat germ
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil for frying
For the pomegranate wine sauce
  • 2 cups red wine
  • 2 cups pomegranate juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the koftas
    Cup of Yum
  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg.  Mix in everything else, except the olive oil.  Break apart the lamb into chunks as you add it to help evenly distribute it without over mixing.  Although you want to get all the ingredients well combined, over working the meat will toughen your koftas.  If your mixture is very wet, add a little more wheat germ.
  2. Using a tablespoon or small scoop, take a small portion of meat and roll it in your hands, first into a round ball to firm it up, and then back and forth to elongate it into an oval shape.
  3. Set the kofta on a tray and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  This will firm them up further.
  4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the kofta on both sides.  Continue cooking until they are cooked through and an instant read thermometer reads 160.  This will only take a few minutes.
  5. Skewer each kofta with a long cocktail toothpick and serve with a small amount of the pomegranate sauce.
For the pomegranate wine sauce
  1. Bring the wine and juice to a boil in a saucepan.  Continue boiling, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, almost 45 minutes.  Whisk in the cinnamon towards the end of the cooking.  You should be left with about 1/2 cup of ambrosia!  Don't waste a drop!

Notes

  • I minced my onion, shallot and garlic in the small food processor because I wanted a very fine texture for my mini koftas. If you do this, drain the mixture well to get rid of excess water, I used a mesh strainer and a lot of liquid came out.
  • If you don't want the wine sauce, serve these koftas with a simple Greek yogurt dip. Mix the yogurt with some lemon and cilantro or mint.  Add a little tahini if you like.
  • Kofta recipe adapted from Rachel Allen.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1meatball Calories 154kcal (8%) Carbohydrates 8g (3%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 4g Trans Fat 0.5g Cholesterol 31mg (10%) Sodium 31mg (1%) Potassium 175mg (5%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 162IU (3%) Vitamin C 1mg (1%) Calcium 21mg (2%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16meatballs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 154

% Daily Value*

Serving 1meatball
Calories 154kcal 8%
Carbohydrates 8g 3%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 4g 20%
Trans Fat 0.5g 25%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 31mg 1%
Potassium 175mg 4%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 162IU 3%
Vitamin C 1mg 1%
Calcium 21mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.