Spice up your dinner tonight with Chrissy Glentis’s delicious beef kofta recipe. This exclusive recipe also includes instructions to create warm pita bread and zesty mint sauce – an excellent addition to the dish, we greatly recommend it. This meal will have all your guests wanting seconds, if not thirds, and why wouldn't you when it's all low-FODMAP!
Make sure to read her tips and tricks to adjust the meal in whichever way suits you and your gut best!

Images and text from Always Delicious Low-FODMAP Kitchen by Chrissy Glentis, photography by Armelle Habib. Murdoch Books RRP $39.99.

I’ve made this dish as an appetiser for countless parties, and it never fails to steal the show. The tender, perfectly spiced koftas pair so beautifully with the cool, creamy minted yoghurt that each bite feels like a burst of flavour in your mouth. It’s one of those dishes that has everyone coming back for seconds. And the best part? No one ever realises it’s low-FODMAP! So, let’s keep this secret between us.

Nut free, soy free
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Serves: 4

KOFTAS
500 g minced (ground) beef
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup (15 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1 tablespoon Napoli sauce (see below) or tomato paste (concentrated purée)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg

PITA BREADS
250 g plain (all-purpose) flour of your choice (see Tips)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using regular flour)
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

MINTED YOGHURT
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus extra shredded mint to serve
1/2 cup (130 g) yoghurt of your choice (see Tips)
1–2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

TO SERVE
Lemon wedges

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the koftas and mix until well combined. You can do this by hand or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment – just be sure to use low speed to avoid overmixing. Form the mixture into large balls of approximately 1 heaped tablespoon per ball (see Tips). Place the koftas on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Bake for 15–20 minutes until cooked through.
For the pita bread, combine all the ingredients, except the oil, in a bowl. Add the oil with 3/4 cup (185 ml) water and mix until combined. Divide the dough into four equal portions and roll into balls. If you’re using regular wheat flour, rest the dough for about 30 minutes before rolling the balls out into discs about 1 cm thick. Heat a dry, non-stick frying pan over medium heat and fry the pita breads, one by one, for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Finally, to make the minted yoghurt, add the mint to the yoghurt with the sugar (if using) and mix well to combine. Serve the koftas inside the warm bread, topped with some minted yoghurt, extra shredded mint and a squeeze of lemon.

TIPS
I have made these pita breads using both gluten-free and regular flour, and they work well either way, so use whatever you have on hand or can tolerate. Use whatever yoghurt you like, but this recipe does work best with dairy as opposed to non-dairy yoghurt, as non-dairy yoghurts have a different and often stronger flavour than regular cow’s milk yoghurt. If you aren’t dairy free, I recommend using regular or lactose-free yoghurt. You can make the koftas into smaller, bite-sized balls and take them to parties as an appetiser with the minted yoghurt as a dipping sauce.

NAPOLI SAUCE
Dairy free, egg free, gluten free, lactose free, nut free, soy free
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes: about 3 cups (750 g)

INGREDIENTS
2 × 400 g tins tomatoes
2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried chives
1 teaspoon caster sugar (optional)

METHOD
Put the tinned tomatoes in a blender and blitz until smooth, or you can use a hand-held blender. Add to a saucepan with all the other ingredients and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in portions in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the microwave for 2–3 minutes or defrost in a saucepan pan over low heat.