New Zealand Woman's Weekly

Moroccan-spiced lamb burgers with yoghurt dressing

PREP + COOK TIME 35 MINS (+ RESTING TIME) SERVES 6

500g lamb mince

1 small onion, finely chopped ½ small apple, peeled, cored,

grated

5 sundried apricots, finely

chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 small red chilli, deseeded,

finely chopped

1 ½ tsp Moroccan spice blend 1 tbsp chilli jam or chutney Sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper, to season 1 tbsp plain flour

1 tbsp sunflower oil

YOGHURT DRESSING

½ small red onion, thinly

sliced

Salt, to season

4 tbsp plain yoghurt

Small handful fresh mint,

finely chopped

100g finely chopped pickles Good squeeze of lemon juice

TO SERVE

Pita bread, toasted

Handful salad leaves

3-4 tomatoes, sliced

1

To make patties, place lamb, onion, apple, apricots, garlic, chilli, Moroccan spice blend, chilli jam or chutney, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl.

Blend together with your hands until evenly mixed, taking care not to overwork the mixture – it should just hold together. Divide mixture into 6 and gently press to flatten and form generous patties.

2

Place patties on a lightly floured tray and cover with cling film. Refrigerat­e for at least 1 hour. The flavours will benefit from being left to meld for longer.

3

To make the yoghurt dressing, place sliced onion in a medium bowl, then pour over enough just-boiled water to cover. Leave for about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse the onion under cold water. Pat dry on kitchen paper and season lightly with a little salt. Put yoghurt and mint in a small bowl, mixing together. Add pickles, onions and lemon juice, mixing to combine. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

4

When you’re ready to cook the patties, preheat a grill or frying pan to mediumhot. Brush sunflower oil over patties and grill or fry for

6-8 minutes each side or until cooked through.

5

Serve patties with toasted pita bread, salad, tomatoes and a dollop of the yoghurt dressing.