Ethnic lamb kebabs

These kebabs are really easy to make, and really delicious - even if you normally don't like lamb. I guess that making them in Japan means they are a little expensive because lamb is expensive here, but you can buy the cheapest lamb or even mutton. I got the basic idea from lamb kebabs I ate at a local Nepalese restaurant.

If you look at all the steps, you might think these are troublesome to make, but actually they take less than 10 minutes! And then cooking is another 10 minutes.

I guess you could also use this same basic idea and change the meat to pork, chicken or even beef. Change the spices to suit the meat.


1. In a food processor, finely chop one green spring onion (ao negi), and a handful of fresh parsley.

2. Add the dry crust from one slice of bread. Chop it until the bread is also very small. Finally, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Remove all the herb mix from the food processor and wipe the bowl with a tissue.

     

4. In the food processor, finely chop 150g of fatty lamb meat. Remove. Chop another 150g. 

5. Put all the meat back in the processor, add a pinch of salt, and whiz until it becomes sticky.

6. With a spatula, put the meat into a bowl with the herbs and mix it together. 

7. Divide the meat into 4 portions, put each one on a large piece of kitchen wrap.
8. Using the wrap (so you don't touch the meat) make long flat sausages.
9. Put a bamboo stick in each, wrap the meat around it and squeeze the kebab tightly.
10. Put aluminum foil on the ends of the stick so it doesn't burn.
11. BBQ or grill on high heat until each one is dark brown and cooked.
12. Serve with plain yogurt and chopped mint dressing.

 


NOTES:
1. The onion and parsley are to give the meat a "fresh" taste and to balance the heaviness and oiliness of the lamb.
2. The bread is to help bind the meat and to also lighten the mixture. DON'T put too much! The cumin seeds add fragrance and make the dish more "ethnic". If you don't add cumin, the dish is lamb patties.
3. The food processor should be clean when you add the meat. It is important for Step 5.
4. If you have a big processor, you can do all the meat together.
5. This is the MOST important step for making meat patties, hamburg steak, meat balls, etc. In Step 4, you just make minced meat/ground meat. In Step 5, you are making "sausage meat". Adding salt to meat will break the proteins in the meat and make it sticky. DO NOT add anything else such as herbs before you add the salt, or the chemical process can't work well.
8. Using kitchen wrap such as Saran Wrap means the meat is clean, and your hands are clean. Please try to keep the meat as cool as you can - this helps it stick and also the fat doesn't melt.
9. I think fresh bamboo sticks give the meat more fragrance, but you can use regular kebab sticks or even wooden chopsticks. Flat is better.
11. I usually make the meat, or make the kebabs, and keep them for a few hours before I cook them. This makes the flavor better.
12. The dressing is just plain yogurt with finely chopped mint, nothing else.

If you don't have a BBQ, use a grill on high heat. Or you could make small meatballs and cook them in a non-stick frypan. Lamb is oily, so you won't need any oil in the pan. These kebabs would be nice to make a kebab sandwich with some pita bread.