Welcome to The Storied Recipe! As you plan a menu around Lamb Kofta, I invite you to listen to Nazli’s episode A Primer in Persian Culture, where she explains the significance of Kofta feasts in Iranian culture.
My podcast guest Nazli Bashi 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 44 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.
Potato tahdig (Crispy Persian rice with potatoes)
Cooks in 1 hour 20 minutesAdd rinsed basmati rice to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for approx. 5 min., then drain.
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.
And as a bonus - don't miss Sanyet El Batates (Egyptian Baked Potatoes in Tomato Sauce) from Scarf Gal Food
Breads
Breads from around the world to complement this global dish.
Roti Paratha
Cooks in 5 hours 5 minutesNaan Bread (The Best Recipe)
Cooks in 90 minutesNaan - easy naan bread recipe using a cast-iron skillet. Soft, puffy with brown blisters just like Indian restaurants. This is the best recipe online!
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 22 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 recipe
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.
Potato tahdig (Crispy Persian rice with potatoes)
Cooks in 1 hour 20 minutesAdd rinsed basmati rice to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for approx. 5 min., then drain.
Basmati Rice Pilaf with Dried Fruits and Almonds
Cooks in 35 minutesThis basmati rice pilaf is studded with dried fruit and almonds, and scented with cumin, cinnamon and turmeric.
And make sure you also take a peek at Kabsa (Saudi Arabian Chicken and Rice) from Recipes Are Simple!
Salads
Add a little acid to your meal with these sharp salads.
Fattoush Salad (My Family's Recipe - )
Cooks in 25 minutesThis fattoush recipe is unchanged from my childhood, passed down from my mother from hers and so forth. Fattoush is Lebanons version of a garden salad with sour dressing and toasted pita bread for extra crunch.
5-Ingredient Mediterranean Salad
There are only 5 ingredients in this beautiful and delicious Mediterranean salad: tomatoes, red pepper, onion, garlic and basil, dressed with a simple vinaigrette.
Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad
Cooks in 40 minutesThis traditional Lebanese Tabbouleh Salad recipe is a healthy vegan Mediterranean appetizer made with bulgur, parsley, mint and chopped vegetables.
Mediterranean Olive Salad
An vibrant, tangy and delicious olive salad made with a lot of olives, plus a medley of other chopped vegetables. Such a great chopped salad, and really simple to make.
Balela Salad
Cooks in 20 minutesThis Middle Eastern Chickpea Salad called Balela Salad, is vegan and healthy! Made w/ finely chopped veggies, fresh herbs, lemon & olive oil. Serve it in a pita with tahini sauce or over greens.
Watermelon Salad with Feta and Cucumber
Cooks in 11 minutesThis watermelon salad is full of sliced cucumbers, crumbled feta cheese and mint, all tossed in an easy lime dressing. A simple yet unusual summer salad that's sure to get rave reviews.
Greek Salad
Cooks in 15 minutesThis easy Greek salad recipe is a flavorful, refreshing summer side dish! If you make it ahead for a gathering, save a few mint leaves to add right before serving.
- Sabzi Salad (Herb Salad) a fresh salad From My Persian Kitchen
- Tunisian Carrot Salad from My Tunisian Table
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 Mediterannean Vegetables is perfect for a BBQ.
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.
Roasted Eggplant Recipe (The Easiest!)
Cooks in 35 minutesLearn how to cook eggplant using the easiest method! This simple oven roasted eggplant recipe comes out perfectly caramelized every time.
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.
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.
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 ¼ cup; double if desired.
Easy Hummus (Better Than Store-Bought)
Cooks in 10 minutesHomemade hummus is very easy to make and it tastes much better than anything you can buy at the store. If you dont have any tahini, a paste made from sesame seeds, you can try making it yourself (see our Easy Homemade Tahini Recipe) or leave it out. A chickpea pure without it is still quite delicious. Just add more olive oil. We love serving this with flatbread — here’s our easy flatbread recipe from scratch.
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 Sauce Recipe
Cooks in 15 minutesTzatziki is a healthy sauce you can serve with chicken, grilled veggies, pita chips, gyros and 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- Middle Eastern Cookie Recipe
Cooks in 1 hour 45 minutesGhraybeh in Arabic means “swoon” yep these cookies will def have you swooning. If a shortbread cookie married a sugar cookie they will have the most delicious cookie called #ghraybeh.
Related
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.
Learn about the history of Persian Koftas...
The Storied Recipe Podcast, Ep 040 A Primer in Persian Culture
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
47 Ideas: What To Serve With Kofta
Cuisine: Persian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean4
servings30
minutes0
minutes30
minutes44 ideas and recipes to serve with Lamb Kofta organized into potatoes, breads, rice, salads, vegetables, sauces, and desserts.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- POTATO DISHES
Potato Tahdig (Persian Rice with Potatoes) from Kitchen Stories
Sanyet El Batates (Egyptian Baked Potatoes) from Scarf Gal Food
- BREADS
Flaky Roti Paratha from Shakila, Guest of The Storied Recipe
- RICE SIDES
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
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 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
Directions
- Choose an idea - or lots of ideas - for inspiration.
- Follow recipe links for instructions.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @thestoriedrecipe.podcast on Instagram and hashtag it #thestoriedrecipe
Like this recipe?
Follow us @thestoriedrecipe on Pinterest
Would love to hear from you!