Lamb, apricot and fennel seed lollipops

Call these lollipops, kofta or meatballs (which is, technically, what they are), they make quite a statement when served. In all fairness, you can ditch the wooden skewers and serve them as they come, but putting them on sticks adds to the fun. The ‘lollipops’ are great as party food or as part of a big meal, and I’ve found that they are enjoyed by kids and adults alike. I mean, who doesn’t like a meatball? Seriously.

Credit: Hachette Australia

• makes

  18-20

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 500 g minced lamb
• 150 g ready-to-eat dried apricots, finely chopped
• 50 g fennel seeds, toasted and finely ground
• 2 large eggs
• 1 onion, minced in a food processor or very finely chopped
• 2 tsp heaped turmeric
• ½ small packet (about 15 g) dill, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
• 2 tsp heaped sea salt flakes, crushed
• freshly ground black pepper
• vegetable oil

To serve

• 150 g Greek yoghurt
• olive oil or lemon juice (optional)
• sweet tamarind sauce
• small handful nigella seeds

Instructions

Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat (or a high heat, if using an electric cooker). If your frying pan isn’t large enough to cook 18–20 kofta at once without overcrowding the pan, preheat the oven to 160°C (Gas Mark 3) for keeping cooked batches warm.

Put all the kofta ingredients, except the oil, into a large mixing bowl and work the mixture thoroughly using your hands. Really pummel the meat mixture and ensure the ingredients are evenly combined.

Drizzle into the hot frying pan just enough oil to coat the base and allow it to heat up. Meanwhile, begin rolling your kofta – take a small amount of the meat mixture (about the size of a ping pong ball) and roll it into a smooth ball, then place it in the frying pan and fry for about 5–6 minutes on each side or until nicely browned and cooked through. Keep adding more and more balls as you make them, cooking in batches if necessary.

Keep the cooked kofta warm in the oven on a baking tray while you fry subsequent batches.

Season the yoghurt with salt and pepper. If the yoghurt is too thick for drizzling, thin it down using a little olive oil and 1 tablespoon water or lemon juice.

Arrange the kofta on a large platter and pour over a generous drizzle of the seasoned yoghurt, followed by a drizzle of sweet tamarind sauce and a sprinkling of nigella seeds. Insert a wooden skewer into each meatball and serve.

Recipes and images from Sirocco, Fabulous Flavours From The East by Sabrina Ghaynour (Hachette Australia, $39.99, hbk).

View our Readable feasts review and more recipes from the book here.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.