Kofta Kebabs are skewers of ground lamb mixed with parsley, onions, garlic and Middle Eastern spices like sumac. Sumac is a red coloured tangy spice powder with a sour acidic flavour made from the ground berries of the sumac flower. Kebabs have its origins in Persia but is popular all over the world.
Ingredients:
Minced Mutton/Lamb – 500 gms
Onion – 1 medium chopped finely
Garlic cloves- 3
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Chopped Parsley – 3 – 4 tbsp
Sumac powder – 1/2 tsp (optionally, use a few drops of lemon juice )
Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Red chillie flakes – 1 tsp
Bread slice – 1 or 2
Salt to taste
Bamboo Stick Skewers – 8- 10
Preparation:
If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes to prevent it from catching fire.
Wash and clean the minced meat. In a mixing bowl, add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, finely chopped onions, finely chopped parsley and garlic, chillie flakes and salt. Mix it well.
Some of them add the minced meat in a food processor and run it once to get a finer texture. But I prefer to skip that step if the minced meat is finely chopped.
Dip the slice of bread in a bowl of water. Take it out and squeeze out the water immediately. Add the bread pieces to the minced meat mixture and mix until well combined.
Keep the mixture in fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After an hour, take it out. Take a fistful portion of the meat mixture and mould it on a wooden skewer. Repeat the process for all the other skewers. Thekofta kebab should be around 1 inch thick. Lay them on a plate lined with parchment paper.
In a pan, pour 2 tbsps of oil. When it is hot, place the skewers on the pan and on a low flame, shallow fry it. When it is golden, flip it to the other side. Make sure all the sides are evenly golden and cooked. After 5-7 minutes, remove from fire and arrange on a platter.
You can also grill the kebabs. Place the kebabs on a lightly oiled heated gas grill. Grill over medium high heat for 4 minutes on one side, turn over and grill for another 4 minutes on the other side.
Serve with kuboos or pita bread alongwith tahini, moutabel or hummus.
Meal Haven 