Bart's Recipes
Rinse the quinoa under cold water and cook it in plenty of salted water for twelve to fifteen minutes until tender and the germs release. Drain and let it steam dry in a sieve.
Mix the ground lamb with one grated clove of garlic, the cumin, coriander powder, cinnamon, finely chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Knead the mixture firmly for a minute; this releases the proteins that bind the kofta and prevent them from falling apart in the pan. With wet hands, shape into four oblong rolls and chill in the fridge for ten minutes.
Coarsely grate the cucumber and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Mix it with the yogurt, the second clove of garlic finely grated, finely chopped mint, a splash of lemon juice, and salt to make a fresh tzatziki. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and the red onion into paper-thin half rings, then toss them with a tablespoon of olive oil, some lemon juice, and salt.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan until very hot and fry the kofta for eight minutes until browned all over and just cooked through. Only turn them once they have formed a firm crust, otherwise they will stick to the pan. Serve the kofta on the quinoa with the tzatziki and tomato salad on the side.
