Equipment
Ingredients
Koftes
- 500 g ground pork
- 150 g halloumi, grated
- ½ red onion, grated
- 2 garlic, minced
- 10 g fresh mint, finely chopped
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g ground coriander
- 5 g smoked paprika
- 3 g salt
- 3 g black pepper
Flatbreads
- 250 g plain flour
- 250 g greek yogurt, full fat
- 10 g baking powder
- 3 g salt
Tzatziki
- 200 g greek yogurt
- 100 g cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 1 garlic, minced
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 15 ml olive oil
Olive Slaw
- 200 g cabbage, shredded
- 80 g kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
- 50 g red onion, thinly sliced
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml lemon juice
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 965 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbohydrates
- 65 g
- Fat
- 56 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 1698 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 21 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 25 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Cholesterol
- 105 mg
- Potassium
- 872 mg
- Calcium
- 630 mg
- Iron
- 4.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 80 mg
- Phosphorus
- 546 mg
- Zinc
- 4.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 49 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin E
- 3.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 52 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.7 mcg
- Thiamin
- 1.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.70 mg
- Niacin
- 7.0 mg
- Folate
- 63 mcg
- Water
- 300 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine the flour, yogurt, baking powder, and salt for the flatbreads in a mixing bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover with a damp towel and let rest while preparing the other components.
Prepare the tzatziki by mixing the greek yogurt, squeezed grated cucumber, minced garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.
Toss the shredded cabbage, sliced olives, and sliced red onion with olive oil and lemon juice to create the slaw. Set aside to marinate.
Place the ground pork, grated halloumi, grated red onion, minced garlic, mint, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper into a large mixing bowl.
Mix the pork mixture thoroughly by hand for about 2 to 3 minutes. The meat must be worked until the proteins bind and the mixture becomes notably tacky.
Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and mold them tightly around skewers into long sausage shapes. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for 15 minutes.
Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Simultaneously, preheat a dry skillet over medium-high heat for the flatbreads.
Divide the rested dough into 4 equal pieces. Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a circle approximately 3 millimeters thick.
Cook the flatbreads in the dry skillet for about 1 to 2 minutes per side until they puff up and develop charred blisters. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
Brush the grill lightly with oil. Grill the koftes for 10 to 12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until heavily charred and the pork reaches an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit). Avoid cross-contamination by using clean tongs once the meat is cooked.
Remove the koftes from the grill and let them rest for 5 minutes.
Assemble the dish by placing flatbreads on plates, spreading a generous spoonful of tzatziki on each, topping with the olive slaw, and laying two koftes over the top.
Chef's Notes
- Squeezing the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel before adding it to the yogurt is absolutely crucial for a thick, creamy tzatziki. Do not skip this step.
- Halloumi releases moisture as it cooks. Ensure your grill is hot enough to evaporate this water quickly, allowing the pork and cheese to achieve a deeply savory crust.
- Kneading the ground pork mixture until the proteins bind is the secret to a kofte that snaps and holds together perfectly. It should look somewhat sticky and pale before shaping.
- Wrapping your flatbreads in a slightly damp kitchen towel immediately after cooking traps the steam, ensuring they remain pliable and soft enough to fold without cracking.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store the koftes, flatbreads, tzatziki, and slaw in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze raw or cooked koftes and baked flatbreads. Tzatziki and slaw do not freeze well.
Reheating: Reheat flatbreads in a dry pan or toaster. Reheat cooked koftes in the oven at 180C until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Koftes fall apart or drop off the skewers on the grill
Cause: The meat was not mixed long enough to develop the protein structure, or the mixture was too warm.
Fix: Remove from skewers and cook as standard burger patties in a pan.
Prevention: Mix the meat by hand until a sticky paste forms, and chill the shaped skewers for 15-30 minutes before grilling.
Flatbreads are tough and cracker-like
Cause: Dough was overworked during rolling or cooked at too low a temperature, drying it out.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Roll gently and cook quickly over a hot skillet. Immediately wrap in a towel so steam softens them.
Tzatziki is watery and thin
Cause: Cucumber juice diluted the yogurt.
Fix: Stir in a spoonful of extra yogurt or strain the tzatziki through a fine mesh sieve.
Prevention: Thoroughly squeeze the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen cloth or paper towels before adding to the yogurt.
Cultural Context
Koftes are a foundational element across Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and South Asian cuisines, traditionally shaped from ground lamb or beef. This variation introduces a Cypriot and Greek twist by incorporating pork and squeaky, salty halloumi directly into the mince, balancing the rich fat with the bright, acidic crunch of olive slaw and cooling tzatziki.
