Kofta, a flavorful form of meatball, is often found in the Middle East and India. The wrap shown above uses lamb- and turkey-based kofta with yogurt sauce and tomato.

The meatball has become so synonymous with Italian food it’s easy to forget there is a world of variation out there.

Italian meatballs are just one part of a large family of spherical minced meat dishes, which have roots in the Middle East, South Asia, North Africa and much of Europe.

Kofta, a particularly flavorful variety of meatball generally found in the Middle East and India, get much of their taste from seasonings often associated with curries, as well as fresh herbs such as mint and cilantro.

As with most meatball recipes, this one is easily adapted to suit personal tastes. And if you’d rather not have a wrap, consider serving these kofta over a bed of rice with curry sauce (some excellent prepared sauces are available).

Lamb kofta with yogurt sauce

Olive oil cooking spray

2 slices day-old crusty white bread, lightly toasted

1 medium yellow onion, quartered

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint

2 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 tablespoon Thai red curry paste

1 large egg

1/2 pound ground lamb

1/2 pound ground turkey

4 large round pita breads

2 medium tomatoes, diced

Place an oven rack in the center position of the oven. Preheat the oven to broil. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Place the bread in a food processor and pulse until it forms fine breadcrumbs. Add the onion, parsley, mint, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, salt, black pepper, ginger and red curry paste, then continue pulsing until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Mix the egg into the onion and herb mixture. Add the lamb and turkey and use your hands to thoroughly mash everything together. Shape the mixture into 12 egg-size balls and arrange on the prepared baking sheet.

Lightly spray the kofta with olive oil. Broil for 8 minutes, then use tongs to rotate each kofta and broil an additional 7 minutes. Rotate the kofta again and broil another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes.

Wrap the pitas in foil and place in the oven for 1 to 2 minutes, or just long enough to heat.

Arrange three kofta down the center of each pita, then top with diced tomato and yogurt sauce (recipe follows). Wrap the pita around the kofta. Serves four.

Yogurt sauce

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup plain yogurt (Greek-style is good)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely diced

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a small bowl mix together the yogurt, dill, cucumber and lemon juice. Refrigerate while preparing the kofta. When ready to serve, season to taste with salt and pepper.