Served fried or cooked in a sweet and sour tamarind sauce. When fried, Koftat Al Nikhi is very similar to the Indian-Pakistani snack called Shami kabab.

Kofta dough:
3 cups half-boiled split yellow peas (Nikhi Al Aeesh)
½ kg ground lean beef
½ tablespoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon mixed Gulf spices
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove crushed to a pulp with
½ teaspoon fresh ginger and
1 green chilli
1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
½ cup water to wet hands while mixing dough

Stuffing:
2½ cups chopped onion
1 small garlic clove (optional) crushed to a pulp with
½ teaspoon ginger and chilli
1 teaspoon mixed Gulf spices
a pinch of cardamom
3-4 teaspoons sultanas
3-4 tablespoons sliced blanched almonds
1 small bunch fresh chopped coriander
1-2 teaspoons dried lime powder
2-3 tablespoons oil
a few saffron threads soaked in
¼ cup rose water
1 egg beaten
oil for shaping the kofta and deep frying

1. Boil 1¾ cups split yellow peas, until just cooked, grind, measure 3 cups.
2. With wet hands mix together with the meat, adding the remaining kofta dough ingredients. Knead until a smooth but relatively tough dough is obtained. Process the mixture one more time in the meat grinder.
3. Dip hands in the oil, take 1½ teaspoons of the dough and form into a small ball.
4. Using the fingers of both hands, form into a bowl and stuff using a small teaspoon. Seal and form into a 4 cm. diameter circle, round the edges. Repeat until the dough is consumed.
5. Dip in the egg, fry on both sides in a shallow frying pan until brown. Place on kitchen paper towels to drain off excess oil. Serve hot or warm, garnished with tomato and lemon slices, chopped parsley or coriander.

KOFTAT AL NIKHI MA SALSAT AL SBAR ALHELWA
(Split Yellow Peas Kofta with Sweet Tamarind Sauce)

1. Soak 2 cups tamarind (or 1½ cups seedless) in 3 cups hot water. Mash and strain.
2. In a medium pot, mix 1½ cups sugar with the tamarind, add 3-4 whole cardamoms, partially opened and ½ teaspoon lemon juice. Cook until a thin syrup is formed. Taste and adjust, remove from heat, add 2 tablespoons rose water.
3. After step 3 in Koftat Al Nikhi recipe, fry the koftas without dipping in eggs. Allow the koftas to stand in a strainer to drain excess oil.
4. Drop the koftas one at a time into the gently boiling tamarind sauce. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 min. or until the koftas are saturated.
5. Serve with the sauce poured on top.

Variations:

• In step 2, fry 1 chopped onion in 2 tablespoons oil, then add the tamarind and sugar.
• After step 2, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste to the sauce, stir and cook for 5 min. Add the koftas and continue the recipe as above.
• Stuff the koftas with minced meat stuffing.
• Arrange the fried Koftas in step 3 in a deep oven dish, pour the boiling sauce on top, cover and bake in a warm oven for 10-15 min., before serving.

Source: "A Taste of the Arabian Gulf – 2nd Edition" by Afnan Rashid Al Zayani