Recipe

Chicken Koftas with White Bean Purée

Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 4

A stunning and authentic Turkish dish, that doesn’t take much effort but is sure to impress family and friends.

Ingredients

Bean Purée:

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain, fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) ground cumin
1/4 tsp (1.25 mL) each salt and pepper

Meatballs:

2 cups (500 mL) fresh breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
1 egg
1 shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) each ground cinnamon, ground cumin and ground coriander
1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt
1 lb (0.5 kg) ground chicken

Garnish:

1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
paprika, for garnish
2 pitas, toasted and cut into wedges

Instructions

Bean Purée

1 Place the beans, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until very smooth; add up to 2 tbsp (30 mL) water, if necessary. Place in a small saucepan and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside and keep warm until ready to serve.

Meatballs

1 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Mix the breadcrumbs with milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the egg, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and salt. Crumble in the ground chicken. Gently mix until well combined. Roll into 24 meatballs and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly coat the top with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Garnish

1 Spread the bean purée on a large, shallow platter and top with meatballs. Sprinkle cilantro and pine nuts over the dish. Drizzle with oil and dust with paprika. Serve with toasted pita.