Food-on-a-stick is on my mind and I’m already counting down to the Minnesota State Fair. It’s portable, convenient…and I’m sure there are a bunch of other reasons that are more legit. My Minnesota-ness and love for things on a stick have been clouding my cooking decisions because I keep thinking about doing some kind of an outrageous mash-up like they do at the state fair. Weird signature dishes – this is how I’m going to make my name, you guys!

I keep a little notebook of food ideas and currently I have “pancake sandwich on a stick”, “reverse corn dog on a stick”, and “upside down berry cake nuggets on a stick” as potential recipes to create. The ideas were getting out of hand, a bit outrageous really, so I decided to stick with the basics (for now) by making one of the original food-on-a-stick comestibles: kebabs.

“The nabob, in the style of Eastern hospitality, sent us a superb dinner of fifty covers, cooked in the Mogul taste; consisting of pilaurs, keb-abs, curries, and other savoury dishes, with a profusion of rice variously dressed in the most delicate manner.”

- the first English mention of “kebab” from James Forbes’ Oriental Memoirs (1813).

One of the variants of the kebab, the kofta – sometimes called qofte, kafta, kefta or kufta – is my current favorite warm weather meat dish. It’s so easy to make and they’re great for picnics because food-on-a-stick.

If you’re not familiar with these little guys, koftas are essentially flavor packed meatballs or meat-logs made with ground meat, onions, and various spices. The kofta that most people encounter have Middle Eastern flavors which aren’t surprising since some food historians say koftas are Assyrian in origin. But like curries, you’ll find variations of this dish all over the world because of the way this dish has traveled between countries and various ethnic groups throughout the centuries.

My kofta recipe is a blend of southwest Asian flavors because of the cumin, turmeric, and parsley. The yogurt dipping sauce that accompanies it is like a bright and tangy relief of fresh air because it contrasts against the salt and the spices of the meat.

For 4 servings:

Kofta:

• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 small yellow onion, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
  
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric 
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt
  
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ c. finely chopped parsley 
  
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp. olive oil (if frying)
  

Yogurt Sauce:

• ½ c. Greek yogurt
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
• ½ tsp. sea salt

Combine together all of the kofta ingredients except egg. Add egg and mix until well incorporated. Roll into logs that are about 2 1/2″ long and 1″ in diameter – you’ll make approximately 12 pieces. (For extra credit, skewer the prepared koftas because food-on-a-stick.)

There are three cooking methods you can follow to cook the kofta:

1. Frying:

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Fry the logs on each side, turning every 2-3 minutes, and cook until golden brown.

2. Baking:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil; place a wire rack on the sheet. Bake kofta on wire rack for 10-12 minutes or until desired doneness.

3. Grilling:

Preheat an outdoor grill, preferably charcoal, to medium heat. Cook the meat on a greased grill pan, turning occasionally, until the lamb is cooked to desired doneness.

For the yogurt sauce, mix together all of the ingredients until evenly incorporated; serve sauce with koftas.

Other f&f lamb recipes:

• Lamb Pizza
• Lamb Leg Steak
• Harissa Lamb Chops

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