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Koftas are a type of meatball from the Middle East, but you can find variations (all with very similar names) in South Asia and the Balkans. They are lovely hot or cold, served as part of a meal or eaten as a snack or as canapés. Here I’ve served them meze-style with pitta bread and a variety of cooling dips. You could, of course, use minced pork or beef instead of lamb to make the koftas.

500g (1lb 2oz) minced lamb

½ onion, peeled and very finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground turmeric

Pinch of ground cinnamon ¼ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped mint

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 To make the koftas, mix the lamb in a large bowl with the onion, garlic, spices and coriander and season well with salt and pepper. (For checking the seasoning at this stage, see tip below.) Using wet hands, shape the rest of the mixture into 12 cigar shapes. These can be left in the fridge for up to 24 hours or frozen (so long as the mince hasn’t been frozen beforehand) until ready to cook.

2 In the meantime, make your choice of accompaniments (see the recipes overleaf). If making them all, then start with the baba ghanouj (see page 72) as this takes the longest to prepare.

3 When you are ready to cook the koftas, add the olive oil to a large frying pan on a medium heat. Fry the koftas for 10–15 minutes or until they are brown on both sides and cooked through. Alternatively, sear the koftas quickly in a really hot ovenproof pan and transfer to the oven, preheated to 220°C (425°F), Gas mark 7 for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for a few minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, push a skewer through the length of each kofta to resemble an ice lolly on a stick.

4 Arrange three koftas on each plate. Scatter with the mint and serve with the lemon wedges and your choice of accompaniments.