Mini Lamb Koftas with Pomegranate Wine Sauce is a delicious appetizer inspired by one of the Middle East’s favorite meatballs!
what are koftas?
Koftas are ground and spiced lamb, shaped into balls or ovals, skewered and then grilled. They are common all over the Middle East, but usually you see them full sized. I thought it would be fun to do a mini version, just perfect for toothpicks and cocktails.
what you’ll need for kofta
Just one pound of lamb makes an army of little kofta. You can make and shape them ahead and cook just before you need them if you want.
- ground lamb
- onion and shallot and garlic
- egg
- spices: cumin, coriander, turmeric, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne
- fresh herbs: coriander and mint
- wheat germ
- salt and pepper
- oil for frying
the pomegranate sauce
- red wine
- pomegranate juice
- cinnamon
the pomegranate wine sauce is the star of the show
They cook up really quickly in a skillet so they’re great for entertaining. But I have to be honest, the pomegranate sauce has to get equal billing. It all started when my daughter and I stopped for lunch on our way home from a round of holiday returns. It was the same old story, we return a bunch of stuff I bought for her, and she finds a few things that she actually likes, things that I wouldn’t have picked out for her in a million years. It’s become a warm and fuzzy holiday tradition.
We chose a Middle Eastern restaurant in a mini mall. (In LA, some of the best ethnic restaurants are in mini malls.) We ordered Moroccan spiced lamb cigars and they came on top of the most amazing sauce we’ve ever had. It was simply called red wine sauce. It was thick, blood red, sweet/tart, and heavily (heavily) spiced with cinnamon. I asked about it but all they would tell me was that it was made with red wine. I could taste pomegranate as well as the cinnamon, and I was pretty sure I could recreate it.
I tried once and it wasn’t quite right. The second time I hit it right on. There was a lot of oohing and ahhing in the kitchen as we tasted it. It’s incredible. Thick, syrupy, winey, sweet tart, with the surprise spicy heat of cinnamon. I’m pretty sure you’ve never tasted anything like it. There’s only one problem— in order to create this incredible sauce you need to reduce 2 cups of red wine and 2 cups of pomegranate juice down to just about 1/2 cup of syrup. Kind of a splurge. But worth it. And a little goes a long way. And anyway, we are celebrating the fact that it’s Friday, aren’t we?
When you bite into the kofta the lamb is moist and tinted a golden yellow from all the spices. There is a little kick of heat at the back of your mouth. The flavors are so bright and vivid in this appetizer, I hope you give it a try. The koftas are adapted from Rachel Allen, but the sauce is all mine!
more Middle Eastern appetizers
- Instant Pot Hummus
- Spiced Lamb Meatballs with Hummus
- The Best Falafel Recipe
- Middle Eastern ‘Nachos’
- Muhammara (roasted red pepper & walnut dip)
- Warm Hummus with Mushrooms
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Mini Lamb Koftas with Pomegranate Wine Sauce
Ingredients
For the koftas
- 1 egg
- 1 medium onion, very finely minced
- 1 shallot, very finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh coriander, (cilantro)
- 2 Tbsp minced fresh mint
- 1 lb lean ground lamb
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
- 1/2 cup wheat germ
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, for frying
For the pomegranate wine sauce
- 2 cups red wine
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the koftas
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg. Mix in everything else, except the olive oil. Break apart the lamb into chunks as you add it to help evenly distribute it without over mixing. Although you want to get all the ingredients well combined, over working the meat will toughen your koftas. If your mixture is very wet, add a little more wheat germ.
- Using a tablespoon or small scoop, take a small portion of meat and roll it in your hands, first into a round ball to firm it up, and then back and forth to elongate it into an oval shape.
- Set the kofta on a tray and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will firm them up further.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the kofta on both sides. Continue cooking until they are cooked through and an instant read thermometer reads 160. This will only take a few minutes.
- Skewer each kofta with a long cocktail toothpick and serve with a small amount of the pomegranate sauce.
For the pomegranate wine sauce
- Bring the wine and juice to a boil in a saucepan. Continue boiling, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, almost 45 minutes. Whisk in the cinnamon towards the end of the cooking. You should be left with about 1/2 cup of ambrosia! Don't waste a drop!
Cannot wait to try these – they look so delicious!
wow these look amazing great for parties
Sue,
These look so delicious…I love every one of your photos, right down to the last one with the plate of empty toothpicks.
So true about finding the greatest little restaurants in strip malls….only in LA though.
annie
As we are well entrenched in the heat of summer at the moment these little babies are perfect on the BBQ and eaten around the pool, and that red wine sauce sounds a “must have” dip. Will let you know if I get the ooohs and ahhhs too!
warm and fuzzy holiday tradition…ha ha ha ha! Both the koftas and the pomegranate sauce sound FABULOUS!
that sauce is GORGEOUS! and what a great choice of flavors the pair with those lovely lamb balls. terrific, sue!
I don’t drink red wine, so from now on, any time I have some leftover from a party, etc., I know just what I’m going to do with it!
This looks amazing. That sauce is as tempting as the pomegranate molasses. They both are just beautiful!!
This was even more beautiful than the molasses because it kept the brilliant garnet red color!
The Pomegranate Wine Sauce is something I could eat by the spoonful on ANYTHING. Red wine, pom, cinnamon. Nuff said. If we could somehow work in balsamic vinegar, I’d have seconds 🙂
The cinnamon was the real kicker. And I think there are lots of uses for it, not just in Middle Eastern dishes, but on regular grilled meats and chicken, too.
Sounds fabulous. I was wondering whethe pomegranate molasses might work in the sauce.
The first time I tried the sauce I used the molasses, and it is possible, but the flavor wasn’t as good, at least the way I made it. I think it’s worth experimenting with, though. The color is much more vibrant when you use the juice, and overall I think the sauce was better starting from equal amounts wine and juice.
This made me so hungry right now!! They look absolutely delicious!
These were like gold here…we fought over the last few surviving koftas!