Tuna Kofta Recipes

TUNA KOFTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small pan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add cumin and cook another minute, stirring well.
• Place drained chick peas, egg and onion mixture into a food processor and process until chopped and well-combined. Place in a bowl and stir in the drained tuna, parsley and lemon zest.
• Using a 1/4 cup of mixture and wet hands, shape the mixture into 8 small oval sausages. Roll each sausage in fresh breadcrumbs and place on an oven tray. Lightly coat each kofta with spray oil.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes, turning half way. Thread onto wooden skewers and serve with combined yoghurt and mint or with my Apple Mint Yoghurt Salsa Recipe #320813.
• TIP: Shape mixture into 16 smaller shapes - perhaps balls - and serve as an entrée or finger food, with Apple Mint Yoghurt Salsa Recipe #320813 in a separate bowl, for dipping.

TUNA KOFTE WITH POMEGRANATE MOLASSES-MINT GLAZE WITH CRUSHED SPICY HUMMUS

Steps:

• Special equipment: 12 wooden skewers soaked in water for 1 hour
• For the glaze: Whisk together the pomegranate molasses, honey, lemon juice, mustard and mint and season with salt and pepper. Let the glaze sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• For the kofte: Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small saute pan over high heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, cumin, allspice and cayenne, and cook 1 minute more. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Cut the tuna into large chunks and add it to a food processor along with the cooled spice mixture, the 1/4 cup chopped parsley and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Process until fairly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and chill for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat a charcoal grill to high heat using the direct heat method.
• Divide the tuna mixture into 12 equal portions and roll into footballs. Brush the koftes with some of the remaining oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred on all sides and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Reserve some of the glaze for serving, and then brush the koftes with some of the remaining glaze each time you turn.
• Transfer the skewers to a platter and mound some of the Spicy Hummus next to them. Drizzle the kebabs with more glaze and scatter the parsley leaves over the top.
• Put two-thirds of the chickpeas in a food processor along with the tahini, sesame oil, honey, garlic, chile, lemon juice, hot sauce if using and season with salt and pepper. Puree until almost smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in enough olive oil to make a smooth but thick puree. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Put the remaining chickpeas in a bowl and mash coarsely with a potato masher. Spoon the mashed chickpeas on top of the puree. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter parsley leaves over the top.

TUNA KOFTA WITH BBQ GRAPES AND SOUR GARLIC SAUCE

Steps:

• For the kofta, pour the buttermilk over the breadcrumbs in a large mixing bowl. Leave to soak for 10 minutes until the bread swells and there is no residual liquid left in the bowl. Pass the trimmed tuna through a meat grinder on a coarse setting (or chop into a coarse mince consistency with a sharp knife). Add to the breadcrumb mixture, along with all the remaining ingredients. Using your hands, mix everything together for about 1 minute, to strengthen the mix slightly (be careful not to work it too far or the kofta will end up being too firm). Divide the mix into 12 even pieces and roll into long sausage shapes. Shape the kofta onto stainless steel skewers and store on a plate, covered, in the fridge until needed.
• To make the sour garlic sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside in the fridge.
• Either preheat a chargrill pan over a medium-high heat or a charcoal grill with evenly burnt-down embers. Level out the embers so the heat is even.
• Brush the kofta with a little grapeseed oil and season with salt flakes, then grill for 2-2½ minutes, turning carefully at 40-second intervals, until cooked through and nicely coloured all over. Transfer the kofta to a large serving platter and set aside to rest.
• While the kofta are resting, brush the grapes with a little oil, then grill for 2 minutes or until the skins are charred and blistered and the juices start running from the fruit.
• Serve with the kofta, sour garlic sauce and your choice of accompaniments.

CHEF JOHN'S KOFTA KEBABS

Steps:

• Cut toasted bread slice into thin strips on a cutting board; cut strips across into a small dice.
• Place onion, parsley, and garlic on top of diced bread on the cutting board; chop until mixture resembles tabbouleh.
• Season beef and lamb with kosher salt, black pepper, allspice, paprika, cardamom, nutmeg, and cayenne. Add onion mixture and water. Mix and mash with your hands until well combined.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
• Remove meat from the refrigerator and roll ¼ of the mixture into a ball using wet hands. Pierce in the middle with a bamboo skewer. Shape meat into a uniform log, about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide.
• Meanwhile, preheat a charcoal grill until coals are very hot.
• Place kebabs on the hot grill until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a kebab should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). Serve.

VEGETARIAN KOFTA CURRY

Steps:

• Put the garlic, ginger and green chiles in a food processor, and pulse until you have a coarse paste. Put half the paste into a large bowl. Set the rest aside.
• Add the beans, spring onions, fresh herbs, bread crumbs, egg, garam masala, chile powder and salt to the large bowl with the paste. Mix well with a fork, mashing up the beans as you go into small pieces.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on the pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil, and bake until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, ginger and chile paste, and sauté until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, purée them until smooth in the food processor. Stir the tomato purée or crushed tomatoes, coriander and cumin into the skillet, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the kofta to the skillet, and turn the heat to low. If necessary, add enough water for the liquid to come about two-thirds of the way up the sides of the meatballs, then simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the kofta are warmed through and the sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with a light dust of garam masala and some extra herbs.

SPICY INDIAN KOFTA

Steps:

• Put the ground meat in a larger bowl, and add ginger, garlic, cayenne peppers, onion, egg, tumeric, garam masala, cilantro, mint, potato, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix well (you'll have to use your hands for this one).
• Form golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture, and set aside.
• Allow to rest 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375º.
• Place the kofta on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake 25 minutes or until cooked through, and slightly browned.
• Serve hot, with nan bread, cucumber-yogurt sauce and a fresh tomato and mint salad.