Chicken Kofta With Pomegranate Rice

Cross a meatball with a kebab and what you get is kofta: a tender, fragrant spiced meat patty—sort of like a slider!—that's a tasty mealtime staple throughout the Middle East and Central Asia. Though lamb kofta is traditional, our version takes a milder approach, with a juicy blend of ground chicken enriched with a bit of Greek yogurt and a heady blend of cinnamon, cumin, and garlic. If you can find ground chicken thighs—or if you can get the butcher to grind them for you—they're worth seeking out for their moist, flavorful dark meat. A few crunchy cucumbers dressed with a cool yogurt dressing and a simple but colorful salad of yellow rice and jewel-like pomegranate makes an eye catching companion to this easy and exotic weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• ? cup plain Greek yogurt

• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 pound ground chicken

• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin

• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 4 cups cooked yellow rice

• ½ cup pomegranate seeds

• ½ cup chopped English cucumber

Nutrition

Calories 448

Fat 15g

Sat Fat 4g

Cholesterol 103mg

Sodium 935mg

Protein 29g

Carbohydrate 50g

Sugar 6g

Fiber 2g

Iron 4mg

Calcium 64mg

Directions

1. Stir together yogurt and salt. Combine chicken, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture in a medium bowl. Shape into 8 (3-inch-long) oval patties.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook patties, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 12 minutes.

3. Stir water and lemon juice into remaining yogurt mixture. Toss together rice and pomegranate seeds. Serve patties with rice; top with yogurt sauce and cucumber.

Yields: 4