As we head to Independence Day here in the US, many of us find ourselves wanting to fire up the grill for something special on our plates. For me and my family, a tried and true favorite blends flavors from around the world in one meal for a celebration of the best of the country - which, for a foodie like me, definitely involves our melting pot of people, cultures, and definitely recipes. So I mix a batch of beef kofta, prep some veggies for grilling, and grab some premade naan and my favorite Indian and Middle Eastern dips and head for the backyard.
You can mix up the selection of vegetables you grill as you like. I choose a nice wide variety for flavor, texture, and color. Once you take the vegetables off the grill, you might want to cut some of them into smaller pieces. When I'm grilling, I nearly always have a knife and cutting board with me and just do all of that outside so we can eat right there more quickly.
When it comes to serving, lots of flatbread options are out there. Of course, you can always just make what you'd like, but I usually either grab a package of premade naan or pita and warm them on the upper rack of my grill. All manner of dips are excellent choices. I nearly always have a yogurt-based dip and hummus, baba ganoush, muhammara, or ajvar are all excellent choices. If this feast isn't enough, you can add stuffed grape leaves, a selection of oil-cured olives, samosas, or any number of excellent rice dishes to accompany your feast. A little bit of delicious and wonderful from all over the globe. Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans!
Grilled Kofta & Veggies
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup finely minced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 red onion, peeled and cut into quarters or sixths
- 1 zucchini, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 1 small eggplant, trimmed and halved lengthwise
- 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and cut into quarters
- Salt, pepper, and garlic - for seasoning
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 oz. cherry or grape tomatoes
In a large bowl, mix the first 10 ingredients (ground beef through black pepper) until well combined. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the vegetables for grilling.
Prepare your grill for medium-high heat grilling on a large cast iron grill plate. Add the red onion, zucchini (cut side down), eggplant (cut side down), and pepper to the grill on one side.
Form the ground beef mixture into balls slightly larger than a golf ball and add them to the grill on the other side of the grill plate. Using a flat metal spatula, press them down into patties. Grill for 2-3 minutes, flip, press, and grill for another 1-2 minutes before removing to a platter.
When the kofta are about halfway done, flip all of the vegetables and check again when the kofta has been removed from the grill. Remove any of the vegetables that are done to your liking to the platter with the kofta and toss with the cherry tomatoes. Continue grilling, flipping, and checking the remaining vegetables every 2-3 minutes until they are all done.
To serve, place the kofta and vegetables into shallow serving bowls or plates along with your favorite flatbreads and sauces - I used naan warmed on the warming rack of my grill and yogurt and roasted red pepper sauces.
- Yields: 4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes