Lamb Kofta Kebabs

Method

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1. Grate the onion finely, then squeeze it hard in a cloth. Excess onion juice is the main reason kofta fall apart.

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2. Combine the lamb with the squeezed onion, garlic, herbs, all the spices, salt and pepper.

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3. Knead the mixture vigorously with your hands for 4 to 5 minutes, slapping it against the side of the bowl, until it becomes visibly sticky and paste-like.

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4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the fat firms up and the mixture sets.

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5. With wet hands, take a handful and mould it around a flat skewer into a 15 cm sausage, pressing firmly and ridging it with your fingers.

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6. Chill the shaped skewers for another 20 minutes.

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7. Heat a barbecue or griddle until very hot and brush the kofta with olive oil.

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8. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until deeply charred outside and just cooked through.

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9. Rest 3 minutes, then serve in flatbreads with tahini sauce, tomato, and red onion tossed with sumac.

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Chef’s Tips

• Flat skewers, not round ones. Round skewers let the meat spin when you turn them.
• The lamb needs its fat. Lean mince makes dry, crumbly kofta.
• If the mixture still feels loose after kneading, chill it longer rather than adding breadcrumbs.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A robust red, or ayran, the salted yogurt drink
• Serve with fattoush, hummus and pickles
• Finish with baklava

Storage & Reheating

Raw shaped kofta keep 1 day refrigerated and freeze 2 months. Cooked kofta keep 3 days and are good cold in wraps.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.