Kofta is a family of meatball or meatloaf dishes found in Balkan, Middle Eastern, South Caucasian, South Asian and Central Asian cuisines. In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced meatusually beef, chicken, pork, lamb or mutton, or a mixturemixed with spices and sometimes other ingredients. The earliest known recipes are found in early Arab cookbooks and call for ground lamb. There are many national and regional variations. There are also vegetable and uncooked versions. Shapes vary and include balls, patties, and cylinders. Sizes typically vary from that of a golf ball to that of an orange. Etymology In English, kofta is a loanword borrowed from which in turn is derived from Classical Persian , contemporarily . The earliest extant use of the word in the Urdu language is attested from the year 1665 in Mulla Nusrati's ʿAlī Nāma. It was first used in English in Qanoon-e-Islam in 1832, and then by James Wise in 1883. The languages of the region of the kofta's origin have adopted the word with minor phonetic variations. Similar foods are called in other languages croquettes, dumplings, meatballs, rissoles, and turnovers. History The first appearance of recipes for kofta are in the earliest Arab cookbooks. The earliest recipes are for large ground lamb meatballs triple-glazed in a mixture of saffron and egg yolk. This glazing method spread to the West, where it is referred to as "gilding" or "endoring". Koftas moved to India; according to Alan Davidson nargisi kofta were served at the Moghul court. Koftas are found from the Indian subcontinent through Central Asia, the Middle East, the Balkans, and northern Africa. Koftas are found in the traditional cuisines of Iran, Afghanistan, Albania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Greece, India, Morocco, Pakistan, Romania, and Turkey. In Turkey it is "a preferred offering at communal gatherings of all kinds", according to Engin Akin. In Armenia and Azerbaijan it is, along with dolma, lavash, harissa, kebabs, and pahlava, a dish of "clearly symbolic ethnic significance" often argued over by gastronationalists attempting to claim it as one of their own country's traditional dishes that has been co-opted by the other country. Kofta is a popular dish among Assyrian people. Variations Generally meat is mixed with spices and often other ingredients such as rice, bulgur, vegetables, or eggs to form a paste. They can be grilled, fried, steamed, poached, baked, or marinated, and may be served with