Kofte Kebabs

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground lamb or beef
• 2 ginger, grated
• 1 small onion, grated
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1–2 tbsp harissa
• 1/2 cup fresh mint or parsley, minced

Method

Mix the ground lamb or beef with the grated ginger, onion, and garlic in a large bowl. These alliums and aromatics are your base for depth; they'll cook into the meat rather than sitting as separate grains. Add the red chilli flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and harissa. Season aggressively with salt — roughly 1.5 teaspoons per 500 grams of meat. The salt dissolves into the meat's proteins and holds moisture during cooking, preventing a dense, dry paste. Work the mixture with your hands for three to four minutes until it tightens and becomes noticeably sticky. You're looking for the point where the meat starts to bind to itself; underworking leaves you with loose patties that crumble on the grill.

Divide the mixture into twelve portions and roll each into a cylinder about 12 centimetres long, pressing firmly as you shape. Wet your hands between rolls to prevent sticking. Thread each onto a metal or pre-soaked bamboo skewer, pressing the meat along the length so it doesn't spin or separate during cooking.

If grilling, light a full chimney of charcoal and let it burn for 20 minutes until ashy and uniformly hot. Rake the coals into a single layer. Place the skewers directly over the coals and leave them undisturbed for 2–3 minutes. The meat will develop a hard crust through the charring that locks in juices — move it too early and it sticks. Rotate each kebab once and cook the second side for another 2–3 minutes. The surface should be heavily darkened, almost blackened in patches.

For oven or stovetop, heat a cast-iron pan over medium-high until it's genuinely hot — at least 200°C. Sear the kebabs for 2–3 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer the pan to a 200°C oven for 5–8 minutes until the meat reaches 68–70°C at the thickest point. This gets you past the bacterial threshold while keeping the interior still pink and warm.

Rest the kofte on a plate for three minutes before serving. The fibres relax and reabsorb their moisture, making each bite tender rather than squeezed and tight.