This is one of my all time favorite ways to eat ground lamb. These kebabs are flavored with an assortment of delicious spices complementing the lamb perfectly. The salad adds some lemony freshness and rolling it all up in a soft, slightly crispy flat bread creates a mouthful of heavenly goodness.
If you enjoy this recipe try Apricot-Balsamic-Mint Game Hens, which incorporates some similar ingredients.
Place the lamb in a food processor with most of the thyme, chili, cumin and sumac (reserving a little of each for sprinkling over later), a little salt and pepper and the pistachios. Put the lid on and keep pulsing until mixed, (do not over mix). You may also mix by hand.
Divide the meat into 4-6 equal pieces. With damp hands, push and shape the meat into a long football like shape. Press little indents in the meat with your fingers as you go – this will give it a better texture when cooked.
In a bowl, mix the mint, parsley, salad greens, and lemon zest. In another bowl, combine the sliced onion with a good pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (the acidity will take the edge off and lightly pickle the raw onion) add to the greens. Dress your salad leaves , mint and parsley with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.
Grill the kebabs until nicely golden on all sides. Meanwhile, warm the flat breads for 30 seconds on a griddle pan or grill, then divide between plates and top each with some dressed salad leaves and onion. When your kebabs are cooked, place one onto each flat breads and greens – you can leave them whole or break them up. Sprinkle with the rest of the sumac, cumin, chili, fresh thyme, a few halved tomatoes and pistachios (optional) and a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with some of the yogurt before rolling up and serving.
Lamb Pistachios Kafta-Kebab Wraps with Spicy Salad
Sumac Cherry red sumac is used extensively throughout the Middle East, especially in Turkey, Syria and Lebanon, either plain or mixed with thyme leaves and sesame seeds (Zatar) as a tabletop condiment. In the Mediterranean region today, sumac is used as a tabletop condiment or added during cooking to lend a pleasant, fruity sourness and soft cherry color to sauces, poultry, fish, and Turkish salads. The flavor is on the order of lemon juice or vinegar but milder and less acidic.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves picked
- 1/2-1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (more or leas to taste)
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sumac, if you can find any, or 1 lemon, zest finely grated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 C shelled pistachio nuts
- A few handfuls mixed salad leaves, such as romaine, endive and arugula, washed, spun dry and shredded
- A small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
- 1 red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
- 1 lemon, zest into strips and reserve for juice
- A bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 large flat breads, naan or tortilla wraps
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 10-12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Place the lamb in a food processor with most of the thyme, chili, cumin and sumac (reserving a little of each for sprinkling over later), a little salt and pepper and the pistachios. Put the lid on and keep pulsing until mixed, (do not over mix). You may also mix by hand.
- Divide the meat into 4-6 equal pieces. With damp hands, push and shape the meat into a long football like shape. Press little indents in the meat with your fingers as you go - this will give it a better texture when cooked.
- In a bowl, mix the mint, parsley, salad greens, and lemon zest. In another bowl, combine the sliced onion with a good pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (the acidity will take the edge off and lightly pickle the raw onion) add to the greens. Dress your salad leaves , mint and parsley with a splash of extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper.
- Grill the kebabs until nicely golden on all sides. Meanwhile, warm the flat breads for 30 seconds on a griddle pan or grill, then divide between plates and top each with some dressed salad leaves and onion. When your kebabs are cooked, place one onto each flat breads and greens - you can leave them whole or break them up. Sprinkle with the rest of the sumac, cumin, chili, fresh thyme, a few halved tomatoes and pistachios (optional) and a little salt and pepper. Drizzle with some of the yogurt before rolling up and serving.
Notes
If you wish the lamb can be grilled on kebabs for easy handling, but it is not necessary. Adapted From | Jamie Oliver
