Description
Succulent, spice-marinated ground lamb skewers grilled to perfection, served alongside a cool, tangy cucumber-yogurt sauce. This classic Middle Eastern dish balances rich, earthy flavors with refreshing aromatics, making it an ideal choice for a high-heat grill or griddle.
Ingredients
- 🥩 500g ground lamb
- 🧅 1 medium yellow onion, finely grated
- 🧄 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 🌿 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 🌿 2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- 🫙 1 tsp ground cumin
- 🫙 1 tsp ground coriander
- 🫙 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 🫙 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 🥛 1 cup Greek-style yogurt
- 🥒 1/2 cucumber, grated and squeezed dry
- 🍋 1 tbsp lemon juice
Shopping List
- Ground lamb (500g)
- Yellow onion (1 medium)
- Garlic (1 bulb)
- Flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
- Fresh mint (1 bunch)
- Ground cumin (1 jar)
- Ground coriander (1 jar)
- Ground cinnamon (1 jar)
- Smoked paprika (1 jar)
- Greek-style yogurt (1 tub)
- Cucumber (1)
- Lemons (1)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground lamb, grated onion, minced garlic, half of the parsley, half of the mint, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and paprika.
- Using your hands, knead the mixture thoroughly for 3-5 minutes until it becomes tacky and holds its shape well.
- Divide the meat mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each into an oblong cylinder around a metal skewer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, the remaining parsley, remaining mint, grated cucumber, and lemon juice.
- Preheat your grill or griddle pan to medium-high heat.
- Grill the skewers for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until the lamb is browned and cooked through.
- Serve the hot skewers immediately with the prepared yogurt sauce on the side.
Notes
- If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to assembly to prevent burning.
- Squeezing the moisture out of the grated onion and cucumber is essential to ensure the kofta texture remains firm and the yogurt sauce stays thick.
- For the best texture, use lamb with at least 20% fat content.
Chef's Tips
- Do not over-process the lamb in a food processor or the texture will become rubbery; hand-mixing is preferred to keep the fat evenly distributed without breaking down the meat structure too much.
- If the lamb mixture feels too loose to stay on the skewers, chill the shaped kebabs in the refrigerator for 20 minutes before grilling to help the fat firm up.
- Maintain a consistent heat; if the grill is too hot, the exterior will char before the center is cooked, but if it is too cool, the kofta may slide off the skewers before searing.