Author Notes
Lamb ranks extremely high on my list of favorite things—MonkeyMom thought I was going to sprout wool during the lamb contest awhile back I was cooking and eating so much of it. It's such a perfect match for mint and right now my mint plants are insane—I have to beat them back daily. This recipe uses a lot of mint, but in the kebab it is somewhat tamed in cooking, and the yogurt tempers the chutney. Still, you will for sure know you are eating mint. I use a mini food processor for recipes like this where you are grinding smaller batches, you should consider getting one—I use mine A LOT!!! —aargersi
Test Kitchen Notes
I am a fan of Middle Eastern flavors and am always looking for new and creative ways to make kebab. Aargersi's delicious lamb kebab and chutney is reminiscent of a tagine with the savory lamb and sweet dates and chickpeas, but in a simple portable form. The yogurt chutney, bright with lime and a generous helping of fresh herbs, is the perfect accompaniment. I served this for dinner for guests along with warm lavash and a cucumber salad—it was a memorable meal that everyone loved. —sdebrango
Ingredients
- For the yogurt mint chutney:
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1/2 cup
(packed) fresh mint leaves
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1/2 cup
(packed) fresh cilantro leaves
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1
small clove garlic, chopped
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1
large jalapeño, leave a few seeds for extra heat if you like
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1
1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled and chopped
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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1 teaspoon
salt
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Juice from 1 lime
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1 cup
Greek yogurt
- For the kebabs:
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1 cup
cooked chickpeas
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1/4 cup
mint leaves
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2 tablespoons
olive oil (plus a bit more to cook with)
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1
large clove garlic, chopped
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1 pound
ground lamb
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1 teaspoon
ground pepper
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1
pinch crushed red pepper (I make it a BIG pinch but that is up to you)
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1/2 cup
chopped dates
Directions
- For the yogurt mint chutney:
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Process everything except the yogurt until it is a rough paste, you want a bit of leafy texture but no big chunks of garlic or ginger. Mix into the yogurt and taste for salt; adjust if needed. Chill the chutney until the kebabs are ready.
- For the kebabs:
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Process the chickpeas, mint, olive oil, and garlic in that little processor until it is a thick paste. A bit of chickpea texture is good!
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Mix the chickpeas and dates in with the lamb, salt, and both peppers. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry up a quarter-sized bit of lamb—eat that so you can check your seasoning. Add salt or either pepper if you need to.
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Form the lamb into slightly flattened balls—I made mine each about the size of a lemon. Put them in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to set.
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Heat some oil in a large skillet (alternately, you could grill or broil them, but I find them easiest to manage stovetop). Fry the kebabs on medium-high heat until they are nicely browned on both sides—the center should be medium-rare to medium, which they will be since you chilled them a bit and have your heat on high-ish. Mine cooked about 4 to 5 minutes per side.
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Serve with the chutney—and a cold dry rosé is a pretty good thing too!!
Country living, garden to table cooking, recent beek, rescue all of the dogs, #adoptdontshop
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