Sweeter than grilled kofte like the one on page 355—and too delicate for the grill—these may be broiled but are at their best when panfried. Serve with any Raita (page 175) and a cooked vegetable.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1 baking potato, about 1/2 pound, or about 1 cup mashed potatoes

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 pound boneless lamb, preferably from the shoulder, excess fat removed

　　1 egg

　　Pinch of ground allspice

　　1/4 cup pine nuts

　　1/4 cup currants or raisins

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or oil for panfrying, optional

　　Flour for dredging, optional

　　

Step 1

Peel the potato and cut it into chunks; simmer in salted water to cover until tender, 15 minutes or so. Meanwhile, cut the lamb into large chunks and put into a food processor with the egg, a large pinch of salt, some pepper, and the allspice. When the potato is done, run it under cold water, then drain and add it to the food processor; process until quite smooth, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides if necessary. By hand, mix in the pine nuts and currants.

　　

Step 2

To panfry, shape the kofte into 8 small patties. Put the butter if you’re using it in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. When the butter melts, dredge each of the patties lightly in the flour if you wish—shaking lightly to shed the excess—and fry, rotating as necessary and turning once or twice, until crisp and golden on each side, about 10 minutes.

　　

Step 3

To broil, preheat the broiler—the rack should be about 4 inches from the heat source—and shape the kofte into 4 or 6 elongated (small football-shaped) meatballs. Broil, turning once, until nice and brown, about 10 minutes total. Serve hot or at room temperature.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.