Turkish kofta lamb kebabs with pistachios
I tried them for the first time in Istanbul. It is a very aromatic and delicious kebab. As soon as you cut it you see small green pieces of pistachios. You can spice things up as much as you want.
Ingredients
- 850 grams minced lamb (from the leg)
- 1/3 cup bulgur wheat
- ½ cup pistachios peeled, unsalted
- 1 sprig of mint
- ¼ cup parsley chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic smashed
- 2 spring onions sliced
- 1 onion grated
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper or chili powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sumac plus extra for sprinkling
- Pitta bread for serving
For the onion salad
- 4 medium onions thinly sliced in rounds
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup parsley chopped
- 1 tsp sumac
For the yogurt
- 400 grams full-fat Greek yogurt
- ½ lemon zest and juice
- 1 clove of garlic smashed or grated
- 10 mint leaves chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Sumac for sprinkling
Instructions
- Put the bulgur wheat in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let it stand for 10 minutes. Drain it if it has not absorbed all its water and set it aside.
- In a blender or food=processor, pulse the pistachios with 1 tablespoon of water. Add the parsley, mint, garlic, green onions and dry onion and pulse again until finely chopped.
- Put minced lamb in a large bowl, add the pistachio mixture, the bulgur wheat and the spices. Sprinkle with salt and mix well with your hands until all the ingredients are combined very well.
- Close the bowl tightly or cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or (even better) the day before. Minced meat needs time in the fridge to firm up and absorb all those wonderful spice aromas.
- To make the onion salad put sliced onions in a strained and sprinkle with the salt. Let them stand in the strainer for an hour until wilted. Rince them with plenty of water to remove excess salt and drain them well. Transfer them to a bowl and drizzle with the olive oil oil, lemon and vinegar. Mix well and refrigerate until serving. Before serving, add the parsley, salt if needed and sprinkle with sumac.
- Remove the mince mixture from the refrigerator. Shape 8 long kebabs and squeeze the meat around wooden or metal skewers, pressing well with your hands so that the kebabs are tight on the skewers. Turn on the grill on medium-high heat. Bake the kebabs for 10 minutes, turning once.
- Mix all the ingredients for the yogurt in a bowl. Serve the kebabs in pitta, with onion salad and yogurt.
Notes
Minced kebabs are usually grilled on skewers that have a flat surface. On regular skewers it can be tricky. If you find this difficult, shape the kebabs and grill them directly on the grill just like burgers. Just keep their shape long and narrow so that you can serve them in pitta.