Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
As you plan a menu around Lamb Kofta, I invite you to listen to my podcast guest, Nazli Bashi on her episode A Primer in Persian Culture, where she explains the significance of Kofta feasts in Iranian culture.
Nazli was born in Iran where making Lamb Kofta is a tradition, an art, and a competition!
However, Nazli taught me Kofta is really just the beginning of this Persian feast: Here are the 47 best side dishes to accompany your Lamb Kofta feast.
How to Use this List
The list is organized by Salads, Vegetables, Potatoes, Rices, Sauces, and Desserts.
Use the Table of Contents below to jump to the category you’d like.
I tried to choose side dishes from all the cuisines that celebrate Lamb Kofta, from Greek, Moroccan, Lebanese, Afghan, to Indian – and more.
Feel free to be creative! Consider serving side dishes that YOU would love the most. Just use these recipes as inspiration.
Before we get to the sides – have you found your perfect Lamb Kofta recipe?
From small to large meatballs to skinny kebabs on wooden skewers, from a large frying pan to hot coals in a charcoal grill, there are so many different ways to form and cook Koftas - and limitless spices and herbs to add to the ground lamb mixture. Here are the 13 most popular Lamb Kofta recipes from around the world.
Potato Sides
Lamb Kofta and potatoes are a match made in heaven.
Batata Harra (Spicy Potatoes)
Cooks in 40 minutesBatata Harra is a classic Lebanese side dish that transforms regular roasted potatoes into a flavorful side dish. It is made with potatoes, garlic, cilantro, and various spices that make this dish so special.
Moroccan Roasted Potatoes
Cooks in 35 minutesPotatoes are tossed with olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika and other seasonings in this uniquely spiced side dish the whole family will love.
Homemade Fries
Cooks in 45 minutesHow to make the best crispy Homemade French Fries in the oven! The secrets to perfect baked fries, plus how to make French fries crispy again.
Sanyet El Batates (Egyptian Baked Potatoes)
Cooks in 55 minutesPrepare this lightened-up sanyet el batates recipe (Egyptian baked potatoes) for a healthy comfort food that's ready in about an hour!
Breads
Breads from around the world to complement this global dish.
Roti Paratha
Cooks in 305 minutesMake Roti Prata at home like the Mamak hawkers in Malaysia & Singapore! Roti dough is scrunched, spiraled, flattened and fried in ghee for a flaky Roti Canai!
Naan (The Best Recipe!)
Cooks in 40 minutesSoft, puffy, and blisteredthis naan recipe is foolproof! Its quick, easy, and tastes even better than restaurant naan. No tandoor oven requiredjust a cast iron skillet. Watch my video tutorial for all the tips to make perfectly chewy naan bread every time!
The easiest homemade Pita Bread recipe!
Cooks in 1 hour 10 minutesThe very best homemade Greek pita bread recipe! And the best part, made with only 4 ingredients. Find out how to bake them to perfection with this super easy recipe.
Zaatar Manakeesh
Cooks in 82 minutesZaatar Manakeesh is a Mediterranean flatbread that's made with dough and zaatar spice. It's an easy recipe to make from scratch using very few ingredients!
Manakish (Cheese and Za'atar)
Cooks in 55 minutesA Middle Eastern flatbread made with a soft dough and topped with either a mix of cheese and nigella seeds or a Za'atar and olive oil blend. A delicious way to start your day - always with a cup of tea.
Samoon Bread | Iraqi flatbread
Samoon Bread | Iraqi flatbread is very famous in Iraq and many other Middle Eastern countries. It has a diamond shape with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. It is very delicious with labneh, soup, meat, and many other dishes.
Chapati Recipe (Indian Flatbread)
Cooks in 37 minutesMake super soft chapati with this easy step by step guide. Chapati is a traditional Indian flatbread made with whole wheat flour and water. Serve them with curries, dal, stew or use them to make wraps, rolls, quesadillas, chapathi noodles or kothu.
Turkish Flat Bread (Bazlama)
Cooks in 60 minutesThis delicious, pillowy soft Turkish Flatbread is an easy, one-bowl-no-mixer recipe. It's perfect with hummus, tabouli, for wraps and more!
Rice Sides
Rice dishes with fragrant spices from across the Middle East, Mediterranean, and Persia.
Lebanese Rice
Cooks in 20 minutesSimple and easy no fuss recipe for rice with vermicelli AKA Lebanese vermicelli rice. No rinsing, no soaking recipe for a quick, easy and fluffy rice each time.
Persian Rice with Potato Tahdig
Cooks in 810 minutesTraditional Persian steamed rice with crispy potato tahdig does require an overnight soak the day before you want to make it. It also steams over low heat for an hour so plan accordingly, but know your patience will be rewarded: the crispy Persian rice with poatoes is hearty, flavorful, and stunningly beatuiful .
Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruits and Almonds
Cooks in 35 minutesEasy to make and sure to elevate any meal, this golden rice pilaf is infused with warm spices, dried fruit, and almondsperfect for pairing with everything from grilled dishes to hearty stews.
Kabsa Arabian Rice
Cooks in 60 minutesKabsa Arabian Rice
A fragrant rice dish with Chicken recipe from Saudi Arabia. (Chicken Kabsa).The Recipe Intro includes Video on how to make t...ice
Salads
Add a little acid to your meal with these sharp salads.
sabzi khordan chopped salad
Cooks in 30 minutesShirazi Salad
Cooks in 10 minutesShirazi Salad is a Persian salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onion. It's crisp, refreshing and goes well with any meal
Fattoush Salad
Cooks in 20 minutesThis fattoush salad is tangy, refreshing, and crisp from the pita chips. It is a quintessential salad in many Arab homes and absolutely delicious.
Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad
Cooks in 15 minutesYou'll find this bright and colorful salad all over the Middle East. I'm showing you how to make this delicious, fresh Cucumber Tomato salad at home!
Tabouli Salad: A Lebanese Tabbouleh Recipe
Cooks in 20 minutesTabbouleh is delicious on its own, eaten with thin pita bread so you can dip the bread in the juices on your plate or the salad bowl. It is a perfect accompaniment to grilled meats, especially shish kebab, lamb chops or steaks.
Olive Salad with Lemon-Pomegranate Dressing
Cooks in 10 minutesLet olives be the star of the show with this 10-minute recipe, which balances the buttery-briny nature of Castelvetrano olives with a zippy pomegranate dressing, summery fresh peppers, crunchy walnuts, and fresh herbs. Somewhere between a salad and a condiment, it's particularly talented at bringing simple baked fish and/or roasted vegetables to the next level.
BALELA SALAD RECIPE
Cooks in 10 minutesBalela Salad is a flavorful and nutritious Mediterranean chickpea & black bean salad brimming with fresh veggies, herbs, and sumac. It pairs perfectly with pita bread, arugula, and hummus.
Mediterranean Watermelon Salad
Cooks in 15 minutesA refreshing summer salad with watermelon, feta, mint and sumac.
Tunisian Carrot Salad
Cooks in 25 minutesGreek Salad
Cooks in 20 minutesTraditional Greek salad is simple and vibrant. Fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olive and feta, tossed in an herby salad dressing.
Vegetable Sides
Add fresh produce to complement the juicy lamb koftas.
Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables
Cooks in 20 minutesThis delicious and easy side dish of Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables is simple to make and tastes great!
Torshi Liteh | Persian pickled vegetables Recipe
Torshi Liteh is one of the most flavorful torshis you can imagine. This chutney is so alluring that you would not be able to resist! Just bring a bowl full of Liteh on the table and watch it being consumed rapidly by your guests before starting the main course!
Torshi (Assyrian Pickled Vegetables)
Cooks in 60 minutesThese tasty, tangy pickled vegetables are known as torshi throughout the Middle East and enjoyed with most meals or as salty snacks.
Roasted Eggplant Recipe
Cooks in 45 minutesThis Roasted Eggplant can be used for spreads, or enjoyed on its own with a refreshing yogurt dip. Cook it in the oven, or place directly on the grill.
Fasolakia (Greek Green Beans)
Cooks in 55 minutesFasolakia is a Greek green bean recipe that proves that green beans need not be bland. Tender green beans braised in olive oil and tomato make this a mouthwatering vegetarian and gluten free main or side dish.
Easy Potato Casserole Recipe, Egyptian Style
Cooks in 1 hour 25 minutesThis potato casserole recipe comes with a bit of an Egyptian twist. Potato wedges are combined with carrots and bell peppers, then topped with a spiced meat sauce. We use lean ground beef or ground turkey here.
Lamb Kofta Sauces
There's no kofta without a sauce. Make more than one!
Best Tahini Sauce
Cooks in 20 minutesLearn how to make ultra creamy tahini sauce! The best tahini sauce is ultra creamy, deliciously tangy and irresistible. This recipe is easy to make, too. You'll just need a whisk! Recipe yields 1 to 1 1/4 cup; double if desired.
Easy Hummus (Better than Store-Bought)
Cooks in 10 minutesHomemade hummus is easy to make and tastes much better than anything you can buy at the store. You will need tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds. Buy it or make it yourself. Here’s our homemade tahini recipe, which I highly recommend for the best homemade hummus! To leave it out, add more olive oil.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Cooks in 5 minutesRoasted red pepper hummus is incredibly easy to make at home with just a few ingredients. It's creamy, smooth, slightly smoky and full of flavor. Watch my video above to see how quickly it comes together!
Labneh Dip with Olive Topping
Cooks in 10 minutesYou simply cannot miss out on this Labneh. It's a Labneh Dip with Zaatar Pistachio Mint Olive Topping! Sprinkled with fresh pomegranate seeds and served with pita chips - this easy labneh recipe is the perfect appetizer or can be served as part of a mezze platter drenched in Moroccan Olive Oil.
Toum Recipe for the World's Strongest Lebanese Garlic Sauce
Cooks in 10 minutesLearn how to make a restaurant-grade Lebanese garlic aioli sauce, or Toum. This sauce is used with traditional Lebanese BBQs including Shish Tawook and BBQ Chicken.
Tzatziki Recipe
Cooks in 15 minutesTzatziki is a fresh cucumber yogurt sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros, or as a raw veggie dip.
Classic Baba Ghanoush
Cooks in 35 minutesLearn to make Classic Baba Ghanoush dip with smoky roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, olive oil and spices.
Spinach Yogurt Dip (Borani)
Cooks in 20 minutesCreamy spinach yogurt dip that is incredibly tasty, easy and healthy. This Persian dip, borani esfenaj is topped with aromatic sizzled mint, fried onions and walnuts. A crowd pleaser for sure!
Raita Recipe
Cooks in 6 minutesRaita is a quick side dish made with curd, veggies, spices & herbs. It is usually eaten as a side with pulao, biryani, kebabs or snacks.
Desserts
Sweet endings to the perfect meal. You'll be so full you'll only need a biteful, so make it perfect!
Halawet El Jibn (Sweet Cheese Rolls)
Cooks in 55 minutesA delectable Arabic dessert made from rolls of soft, sweet cheese dough that gets stuffed with clotted cream, adorned with pistachios and rose petal jam. A drizzle of orange blossom and rose water flavored syrup puts the final seal of perfection. Recipe could be halved if you don't need that many.
Baklava Recipe
Cooks in 135 minutesThis baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and perfectly balanced with the honey-lemon syrup. This homemade baklava is so much better than any store-bought version.
Ghraybeh Cookies - Middle Eastern Shortbread Recipe
Cooks in 105 minutesCrumbly, buttery 3 ingredient Middle Eastern shortbread cookies.
Related Recipe
Authentic Persian Ground Lamb Meatballs filled with minced meat, lentils, ground spices, fresh herbs, and various fillings. Serve the cooked koftas in their own turmeric-spiced tomato sauce.
More What To Serve With Posts
Listen To Nazli's Episode Now
Nazli discusses a wartime childhood, the beauty of the landscape in Iran, the Spring celebration of Norwuz, and the ancient Persian culture that Iranians share with many other nations.
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
Recipe
What To Serve With Kofta: 47 Sides (with Recipes!)
Ingredients
POTATO DISHES
- Batata Harra (Spicy Potatoes) from Bites of Beri
- Potato Tahdig (Persian Rice with Potatoes) from Kitchen Stories
- Sanyet El Batates (Egyptian Baked Potatoes) from Scarf Gal Food
- Moroccan Roasted Potatoes from Let’s Dish
- Lebanese Street Fries from Cosette’s Kitchen
- Baked French Fries
- Sanyet El Batates (Egyptian Baked Potatoes in Tomato Sauce)
BREADS
- Flaky Roti Paratha from Shakila, Guest of The Storied Recipe
- Naan from Rasa Malaysia
- The Easiest Pita Bread from My Greek Dish
- Za’atr Manakeesh from Feel Good Foodie
- Middle Eastern Cheese Bread from Hungry Paprikas
- Samoon (Iraqi Flatbread) from Sour and Sweets
- Chapati from Swasthi’s Recipe
- Bazlama Turkish Yogurt Flatbread
RICE SIDES
- Lebanese Rice from Amira’s Pantry
- Potato Tahdig (Persian Rice with Potatoes) from Kitchen Stories
- Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruit and Nuts from Once Upon a Chef
- Kabsa (Saudi Arabian Chicken and Rice) from Recipes Are Simple
VEGETABLE DISHES
- Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables from This Healthy Table
- Pickled eggplant (Torshi Liteh)
- Picked vegetables (Torshi shoor)
- Roasted Eggplant from Wholesome Yum
- Fasolakia (Greek Green Beans) from Unicorns in the Kitchen
- Try Cosette’s Lebanese Street Fries BUT with cauliflower instead of potatoes
SALADS
- Sabzi Salad- Herb Salad From My Persian Kitchen
- Shirazi Salad (Cucumber, Tomato, and Mint Salad) from The Caspian Chef
- Fattoush Salad from Plant Based Folk
- 5 Ingredient Mediterranean Tomato Salad from Olive Tomato
- Lebanese Tabbouleh from Yumna at Feel Good Foodie
- Mediterranean Olive Salad from Every Little Crumb
- Balela Chickpea Salad from Feasting at Home
- Watermelon Salad from Dinner at the Zoo
- Tunisian Carrot Salad from My Tunisian Table
- Greek Salad from Love and Lemons
SAUCES
- Best Tahini Sauce from Cookie and Kate
- Creamy Hummus from Inspired Taste
- Rroasted Red Pepper Hummus from DownShiftology
- Labneh Dip from Two Purple Figs
- Garlic Sauce – Toum from Mama’s Lebanese Kitchen
- Tzatziki Sauce from Natasha’s Kitchen
- Classic Baba Ghanoush from Tori Avey
- Borani (Spinach Yogurt Dip) from The Crescent Kitchen
- Yogurt Raita from Swasthi’s Recipes
DESSERTS
- Halabwet El Jibn (Sweet Rolls with Clotted Cream) from Cleobuttera
- Baklava from Natasha’s Kitchen
- Simple, Soft Graybeh Cookies from Mai, Guest of The Storied Recipe Podcast
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
- Make sure to listen to Nazli's episode, A Primer On Persian Culture, while you make her Lamb Kofta or one of the 47 delicious side dishes!
- Choose an idea - or lots of ideas - for inspiration.
- Follow recipe links for instructions.
Would love to hear from you!