Chicken and pistachio kofta recipe

If you’re looking for an impressive dish to cook for friends and family this summer, this chicken and pistachio kofta recipe ticks all the boxes: it’s easy to prepare, tastes fantastic and packs a mighty nutritional punch. It’s also great as a post-exercise recovery dish: chicken, yoghurt, pistachios and butterbeans and all super-rich in protein – which, eaten 30-60 minutes after your workout, will help to rebuild and repair your muscles.

Ingredients

(serves 4)

150g Total 0% Greek Yoghurt

50g pistachios

500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs

2 tsp sumac

¾ tsp ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 lemon, zest & juice

300g asparagus

175g peas, defrosted

400g can butterbeans, drained

4 tomatoes, deseeded & finely chopped

3tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Small bunch mint or parsley, leaves picked

100g cooked beetroot

2tbsp chopped dill

Flatbread, toasted, to serve

Method

Whizz the pistachios in a food processor until they are crumb like. Remove 1tbsp and set aside. Add the chicken, sumac, cumin, 1 clove garlic, 1tbsp lemon juice and season. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Chill for 20 minutes before shaping the mixture around 4 skewers in a flattened sausage shape.

Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan. Add asparagus and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, turning until charred. Cool, slice and set aside. Mix together the remaining lemon juice, zest, peas, butterbeans, tomatoes and 2tbsp oil. Scatter over the asparagus and mint. In a separate bowl, coarsely grate the beetroot, add dill, yoghurt and the remaining oil. Season, stir to roughly combine and set aside.

Return the griddle pan to the heat and brush with a little oil. Add skewers and cook for 8 minutes over a medium heat, covered lightly with a piece of foil. Turn and cook for a further 6-8 minutes until cooked through. Stir the salad and scatter with reserved pistachios. Serve with the koftas, beetroot tzatziki and flatbread.

Recipe courtesy of uk.fage.eu