Lamb Kofta Kebabs

In this recipe, lamb and pistachios are combined for a very interesting flavour and texture. Forget the greasy, fat-laden kebabs you buy after a night out drinking, these are made with good quality lamb, full of spices and served with fresh, fragrant herbs. This is the perfect dish to serve at a casual weekend backyard barbecue, with a few friends and a few cold beers. Additionally you can also shape the mince mixture into patties rather than onto skewers, and it tastes just wonderful with salad on a burger. Just don’t forget the yogurt.

Yield:

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1. 800g quality lamb mince
2. ½ cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
3. 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
4. 1 teaspoon ground chilli
5. ½ teaspoon ground cumin
6. Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
7. 1 large egg
8. Zest of 1 lemon or 3 teaspoons sumac
9. Juice of 1 lemon
10. 1 red onion, very finely sliced
11. Mixed salad leaves, washed and spun dry
12. Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
13. Large flatbreads or tortilla wraps
14. Plain natural yogurt

Directions

1. Preheat your barbecue, or have a griddle pan prepared and preheated.
2. Place the lamb mince in a bowl with the chopped pistachios, thyme leaves, chilli, cumin, salt, pepper and egg. Mix well with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.
3. With damp hands, take handfuls of the lamb mixture and shape and squeeze the meat around metal or wooden skewers (see note above)
4. Combine the sliced onion and the lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper. Scrunch it together with your hands, then mix in the parsley leaves.
5. Grill the kebabs until nicely golden on all sides and cooked through.
6. Warm the flatbreads for 30 seconds, and divide between plates. Top each with some salad leaves and onion. When the kebabs are cooked, slip them off their skewers and onto the flatbreads. Drizzle with some of the yoghurt before serving.

Notes

If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for a few minutes before putting the meat on them so that they don’t burn.