Recipe Spotlight: Arni Keftedes

Arni Keftedes, or traditional Greek lamb meatballs, are delicious, unique, and easy to make. As a staple in the Greek kitchen, they can be baked or fried to perfection. The recipe below yields 40 meatballs and takes about 40 minutes, making it the perfect dish to prepare when you have company. We’ve pulled this recipe from My Greek Dish, with the instructions outlined below to try at home!

Ingredients:

• 1 kg ground lamb
• 1 large red onion, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp finely grated kefalotyri cheese
• Salt and pepper
• Flour for dredging
• Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix, squeezing with your hands, to allow the flavors to blend. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
2. To form your Greek lamb meatballs, roll the mixture into balls, the size of a walnut. Lightly dredge each meatball in flour, until well covered. Transfer to a plate, shaking off any excess flour.
3. The traditional way of cooking Greek lamb meatballs is frying them in plenty of oil. To fry Greek lamb meatballs use a large, deep skillet and pour oil to a depth of 1/2 an inch.
4. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it begins to ripple. Add the lamb meatballs in batches in a single layer and fry for about 7 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and crisp on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs to a plate lined with paper.
5. If you prefer not to fry the meatballs, you can bake/ grill them as a healthier alternative. Preheat the oven at 200C, place the lamb meatballs on greased baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning the meatballs upside down midway through cooking time.
6. Greek lamb meatballs are ideally served as an appetizer (meze) with some creamy sauce and pita breadsor as a main course with some basmati rice and a Greek salad. Enjoy!

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