Lamb Rissoles with Beetroot Yoghurt Sauce

Rissoles, or meat patties made with mince, finely chopped vegetable, egg, and breadcrumb, are an Aussie family favourite for dinners from years gone by, usually served with mashed potatoes and a rich gravy.  For something different, make these lamb rissoles and serve them on a bed of diced beetroot and Greek yoghurt.  It's a dish that tastes as good as it looks, with moist and flavourful rissoles sitting pretty on top of a lusciously pink spread which has the natural sweetness of cooked beetroot and the creaminess of thick yoghurt.  Enjoy them with flatbread, rice, or a salad.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 500g / 1lb 2oz lamb mince
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, plus extra for garnishing
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• lemon wedges, to serve

Beetroot yoghurt sauce:

• 400g / 14oz cooked beetroot,* diced into 1cm / ½" cubes
• 300g / 10½oz  Greek yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons spring onions, finely chopped
• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

*I use vacuum-packed baby beetroots that have conveniently been cooked and peeled.  To cook fresh beetroots, place them in a saucepan of salted water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Drain and plunge them into a large bowl of cold water to cool and rub off the skins.   

METHOD

1. Make the beetroot yoghurt sauce by placing diced beetroot, yoghurt, lemon juice, spring onions and parsley in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir until just combined.   
2. Place grated zucchini in a colander.  With your hand, squeeze out as much water as you can and drain in a sieve.
3. In a large bowl, combine the lamb mince, onion, garlic, zucchini, breadcrumb, egg, curry powder, parsley and salt.  Mix well.  With your hands, divide the mixture into 12 equal portions.  Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten into a disc about 2cm / ¾" thick.  Place the discs on a tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm them up before cooking.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil a large non-stick frying pan over medium.  Fry the rissoles in batches for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown.  Add more oil to the pan as necessary when you start cooking a new batch.
5. Spread the beetroot and yoghurt sauce over a serving plate.  Arrange rissoles on top.  Garnish with parsley and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Serve with lemon wedges.