Persian Turkey Kofta
with flatbread salad / herb yogurt dressing

Name: Persian Turkey Kofta
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/4 Onions, medium, finely chopped; 3/4 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Cumin, ground; 1/2 tsp Cinnamon; 1/2 tsp Coriander, ground; 1/2 tsp Black pepper; 1 lb Turkey, ground (look for dark meat ground turkey for the most flavor); 1 Tbsp Oil, cooking; 1/4 cup Stock, any type (sub water); 1/2 cup Pistachios, shelled; 1/2 cup Pomegranate seeds (look for these removed from the pomegranate shells in the produce section); 8 oz Cucumbers, chopped; 5 oz Mixed greens; 4 oz Cheese, feta, crumbled; 1 Tbsp Oil, olive, more if needed; 1 Tbsp Lemon juice, more if needed; 6 oz Persian flatbread, broken into small pieces (sub pita chips); 1 clove Garlic, chopped; 2 tsp Dill, fresh, chopped; 1 cup Yogurt, plain or Greek; 2 tsp Vinegar, white wine; 1/2 tsp Honey

Active: 45 Total: 45

Original GF Paleo Vegetarian

A Persian-inspired combination of spices gives these meatballs a truly unique flavor. Add a fresh and crispy salad and creamy yogurt sauce for a meal with many layers. We first featured this meal in 2021.
Smarts: Keep in mind that the larger / thicker the kofta the longer they will take to cook. Though traditionally rolled into long ovals so that they can be cooked over a grill, these will work great if just rolled into meatballs. Use any shape you prefer.

Proteins

Ground meat

Cuisines

Middle Eastern / North African

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Persian Turkey Kofta:

Onions, medium - 1/4 , finely chopped
Salt - 3/4 tsp
Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Coriander, ground - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Turkey, ground - 1 lb (look for dark meat ground turkey for the most flavor)
Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
Stock, any type - 1/4 cup (sub water)

Flatbread Salad:

Pistachios, shelled - 1/2 cup
Pomegranate seeds - 1/2 cup (look for these removed from the pomegranate shells in the produce section)
Cucumbers - 8 oz , chopped
Mixed greens - 5 oz
Cheese, feta - 4 oz , crumbled
Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp , more if needed
Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp , more if needed
Persian flatbread - 6 oz , broken into small pieces (sub pita chips)

Herb Yogurt Dressing:

Garlic - 1 clove , chopped
Dill, fresh - 2 tsp , chopped
Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1 cup
Vinegar, white wine - 2 tsp
Honey - 1/2 tsp

Prep

Onions / Pistachios (if not already shelled) / Pomegranate seeds (if not already shelled) / Garlic / Dill - Prep as directed. Store onions, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds in their own separate containers. Combine garlic and dill in another container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make dressing - Whisk together garlic, dill, yogurt, vinegar, and honey. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Make kofta - Combine onions, salt, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, black pepper, and ground turkey in a mixing bowl and mix gently until even. Form into meatballs - you can make these into long skinny meatballs as in the photos or into regular round meatballs. Estimate about 4 meatballs / serving. (Can be done up to 2 days ahead)
Cucumbers - Chop cucumbers.

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Make

Heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Add kofta and sear on all sides until deep golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add stock and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, covered, until kofta are cooked all the way through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
While kofta cooks, combine pistachios, pomegranate seeds, cucumbers, mixed greens, and feta in a large bowl.
Just before serving, toss salad with olive oil and lemon juice, adding more as needed to lightly coat all ingredients. Gently fold in flatbread (or pita chips), breaking it apart into bite-sized pieces as you go. Season with some salt and pepper.
Give dressing a good stir.
Serve kofta with salad on the side and dressing over everything. Enjoy!

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Persian Turkey Kofta with flatbread salad / herb yogurt dressing