Recipe: Spiced Lamb Kofta with Pine Nuts and Red Cabbage

Serves 4

- 1 pound ground lamb

- ½ cup grated yellow onion

- 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled and minced

- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin

- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

- 2 eggs

- 2 tablespoons pine nuts

- ½ cup chopped Italian parsley

- ½ teaspoon salt

- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

- Juice of ½ lemon

- 4 individual naan breads, warmed (see Kitchen Notes)

- 1-1/3 cups finely shredded red cabbage

- ½ cup plain low- or nonfat yogurt

1. With clean hands, combine lamb, onion, garlic, cumin, cayenne, eggs, pine nuts, parsley, salt and pepper until thoroughly mixed. (The mixture will be very moist. If time allows, place in refrigerator 30 minutes so it's easier to work with.)

2. Roll lamb mixture into 12 meatballs, then flatten them slightly. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add half of the meatballs and fry until browned and crisp on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. (If cooking too quickly, turn down heat slightly.) Turn and fry other side 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and hold in a warm oven. Drain fat from pan, then add remaining teaspoon of oil. When hot, cook remaining meatballs. Squeeze lemon over meatballs.

3. Wrap naan in damp paper towels and microwave on high 10 to 20 seconds, or until soft enough to bend easily. Place 3 meatballs on each piece of warm naan, then top with shredded cabbage and yogurt. Roll bread around filling and serve. (An alternate method is to cut each bread in half crosswise and proceed as if making a traditional sandwich.)

Times Kitchen Note: We used Tandoori Naan from Indian Life.

From "Real Fast Food" by Nigel Slater