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Perfect tofu kofta

The best vegan alternative to the middle eastern classic
Course Main Course
Cuisine israeli, lebanese, Middle Eastern, turkish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Oat flatbreads

  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 cup wholewheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp each of baking powder and salt
  • 1/2 - 1 cup greek yoghurt

Tahini yoghurt sauce

  • 2 tbsp tahini
  • 1/2 cup greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

Chopped salad

  • 1/2 cucumber, cubed
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 5 radishes, thinly sliced
  • any other fresh or crunchy veg we used red pepper and spring onions, but use whatever you have lying around
  • 2 tbsp green olives, sliced

kofte

  • 250 g firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp miso
  • 1/2 tsp xantham gum
  • 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 2 tbsp fermented black beans, chopped Optional. Worth seeking out in Asian markets, they last forever in the pantry and go well with all sorts of different things. If you don't have, add an extra tbsp of miso.

Pickled onions

  • 1 red onion
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sumac

To serve:

  • Chilli sauce
  • Tahini
  • Baby spinach leaves

Instructions

  • Preheat your grill.
    For the flatbreads - blitz up the oats, wholewheat flour, baking powder and salt in a high speed blender until smooth. Mix in a bowl with 1/2 cup of greek yoghurt, adding more if needed to get a smooth lump that doesn't stick to your hands. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, then break into balls and roll out thinly to make flatbreads. Honestly there's no exact science - learn how bread dough works and have fun!
    Bang them under the grill and watch them - when they puff out and start browning slightly then flip them around - don't let them cook too much or they'll go dry and crack. About a minute on each side if your grill is nice and hot.
    Alternatively you can do them in a very hot grill pan or frying pan for a minute or so on each side.
  • Mix the pickled onion ingredients together in a bowl and set aside
  • Mix all the salad ingredients together, with a dash of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
  • Mix the dry ingredients of the kofte together. Mash in the miso and mix very well. Mash the tofu roughly with a fork and mix in - try get everything well combined without turning it into puree.
    Form into balls with your hands and put on an oiled sheet under the grill, then grill until the outside is turning brown and crispy. Optional - you can fry them in a pan to brown the outside first, this helps them get that gorgeous brown caramelized crispy outside, but they will still be delicious without it.
  • Take a hot flatbread, spread it with tahini, put your salads and kofta inside, top with yoghurt dressing and go wild! Put everything out on the table and let people assemble their own :)