Persian Turkey Kofta
with baby kale salad / herb dressing
A Persian-inspired combination of spices gives these meatballs a truly unique flavor. Add a fresh and crispy salad and creamy 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.
Ingredients
- 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)
- 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
- Baby kale - 6 oz
- Oil, olive - 1 Tbsp , more if needed
- Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp , more if needed
- Garlic - 1 clove , chopped
- Dill, fresh - 2 tsp , chopped
- Tahini - 1/2 cup
- Vinegar, white wine - 2 tsp
- Honey - 1/2 tsp
Prep
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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)
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Make dressing - Whisk together garlic, dill, tahini, vinegar, and honey. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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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)
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Cucumbers - Chop cucumbers.
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Make
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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.
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While kofta cooks, combine pistachios, pomegranate seeds, cucumbers, and baby kale in a large bowl.
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Just before serving, toss salad with olive oil and lemon juice, adding more as needed to lightly coat all ingredients.
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Give dressing a good stir. (If the dressing was made ahead and has thickened, you can whisk in a small amount of water.)
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Serve kofta with salad on the side and dressing over everything. Enjoy!
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