KOFTAS WITH TZATZIKI (MEATBALLS WITH YOGURT AND CUCUMBER SAUCE)

A lively and spicy version of meatballs accompanied with a fresh yogurt-based sauce typical of Greece and the Balkans.

Kofta, kufteh or kefirán: preparations with minced meat of various formats and sizes that are very typical in all the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East, the Middle East and even India and Pakistan are known by various common root names, coming from the Persian word kufta , meatball, or from kufteh , which means mashed meat. The most common version of these meatballs is prepared with lamb, beef, and chicken, molded, skewered, and cooked on the grill.

The spice you decide to use is what gives the koftas the character of each region, and it is also customary to mix in some grain or cereal and an egg. The recipe we are using today is for koftas made from minced beef. The accompaniment for these succulent koftas is tzatziki, a ubiquitous yogurt sauce used in Greece and other parts of the Balkans.

How to cook the koftas:

Season the meat correctly and cook it over an intense heat that leaves it tender on the inside and toasted on the outside without giving it time to lose its juices.

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 kg of minced beef

1 grated onion

2 garlic cloves, mashed

1 egg

1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 tsp. rosemary

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. Oregano

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Salt to taste

A little olive oil for the grill

Tzatziki:

200 g Greek yogurt

½ fresh cucumber

1 clove garlic

1-2 tbsp. fresh mint/spearmint

The juice of ½ lemon

Extra virgin olive oil