Ingredients
- 450g minced lamb
- 1 small onion, very finely diced
- 1 lemon
- Small bunch, 15g, fresh dill (Basil, mint,coriander or oregano will all work too)
- Spices of your choice such as ras el hanout, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, or dried herbs such as oregano, mint or dill
- 200g natural or Greek yoghurt
- ½ a cucumber
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
1 Place the lamb, finely chopped onion and the zest of half a lemon into a large mixing bowl. Give yourself plenty of space, as you will be mixing everything for the koftas in this bowl.
2 Finely chop the dill and add two-thirds of this to the meat mix, reserving the remaining third.
3 Choose your kofta spices to correspond with the herbs you are using. I added a teaspoon of cinnamon, a teaspoon of ground cumin and plenty of black pepper and sea salt. This mix can take a generous amount of seasoning.
4 Mix everything together until well-combined, then divide into eight oval shapes. Thread these on to the skewers and then place on a plate and cover. Leave to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5 Meanwhile preheat the grill. Brush the koftas with a little oil, and grill under a high heat, turning when needed, until cooked through (eight to 10 minutes). Don't overcook or the lamb will become dry.
6 For the tzatziki, mix the reserved dill with the yoghurt, the crushed garlic, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of lemon juice. Grate the cucumber, then remove as much liquid as possible by pressing the grated vegetable in a sieve. Keep the liquid that runs off for juices and smoothies. Mix the grated cucumber with garlic and dill flecked yogurt and season with salt and pepper. At this stage you can also add your choice of spices or some dried herbs. A tablespoon of dried mint, coriander or oregano would taste great added here.
7 Serve the lamb koftas with a spoonful of tzatziki and a flatbread.
