Serves 4
1 onion
1 green pepper, deseeded
1 extra large handful of flat-leaf parsley
1 extra large handful of mint, leaves only
2 tsp tomato purée
1½ tsp ground cumin
1½ tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
Fresh nutmeg
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g finely minced lamb, pork or turkey
50g toasted pine nuts, chopped
2 tbsp raisins
1 egg yolk
250g cherry tomatoes
2 red onions, cut into skewerable wedges
2 yellow peppers, cut into squares
6 rashers smoked bacon, cut into 2.5cm squares
Olive oil, for cooking
1 Pulse the onion and pepper in a food processor until finely chopped. Remove from processor and squeeze out any liquid through a sieve/strainer.
2 Chop the fresh herbs and place in a large bowl, add the onions, green pepper, tomato purée and spices. Mix thoroughly and season well with a good grating of nutmeg, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
3 Add the meat, pine nuts, raisins and egg yolk to the paste and mix well. Shape into kofta balls using lightly oiled hands.
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4 Thread the cherry tomatoes, onion, peppers and bacon onto skewers, making sure there is a square of bacon on either side of a kofta ball to keep it moist. Drizzle the koftas with olive oil and grill or barbecue, until cooked through and nicely browned.
Recipe extracted from At Home With Umami by Laura Santtini, published by Ryland, Peters & Small. Buy from the Times Bookshop for £17.99 (RRP £19.99), free p&p, on 0845 2712134; timesbooks.co.uk