A Turkish Twist on Burgers ‘n’ Fries

Sometimes I like very simple dishes. But sometimes I like dishes with a complex combination of flavors. I found one such recipe for kofte, which is a Turkish lamb meatball. The recipe substitutes ground beef (I assume to adapt to the American palate) but I love lamb so there was no question of substation for me. The recipe calls for using plain yogurt as a condiment but I consulted various authentic Turkish recipes and came up with my own yogurt-cucumber-mint sauce – cacık – which is common in Turkish cuisine. (It’s also common in Greece where is it called tzatziki.)

With my plan for a Turkish “burger” I wanted a vegetable to accompany it. Of course, “burger” is usually followed by “fries.” I found a recipe for cumin-roasted carrots that seemed like it would be a good complement to the koftes which also contain cumin.

Don’t be fooled by the long lists of ingredients. This entire meal is extremely easy to prepare and broiling the burgers works very well. (I will admit that I was skeptical when I read the original recipe.) And don’t be put off by the “strange” combination of flavorings. Cumin and cinnamon and mint? With meat? Yes! Yes! Yes! Or, as they say in Turkey: Evet! Evet! Evet!

Turkish Lamb Burgers with Yogurt-Cucumber-Mint Sauce (4 servings)

Yogurt-Cucumber-Mint Sauce

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

Turkish Lamb Burgers

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• ½ tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
• 1 lb. ground lamb
• 1 egg white, beaten
• cooking spray
• 4 6-inch pitas, split
• Tomato slices

1. To make the sauce, beat together the yogurt, garlic, and salt until smooth. Add the mint and cucumber and stir to combing. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat broiler. Combine the onion, breadcrumbs, mint, tomato paste, garlic, salt, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, lamb, and egg in a large bowl. Mix until just combined. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into a patty.
3. Place the patties on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
4. Cut the patties in half. Scoop some of the yogurt sauce into each pita half and place a patty half and tomato slices inside.

Cumin-Roasted Carrots (4-6 servings)

• 2 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds
• 2 tsp. coarse salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast until carrots are tender 35-40 minutes, turning once.