Lamb Adana Kebabs - spiced ground lamb skewers dressed with a garlicky eggplant & yoghurt sauce, topped with tomato & mint salsa, leafy greens & pine nuts then wrapped in soft flatbread.
This recipe is my take on traditional Turkish style Lamb Adana Kebabs. All you need to do is combine some ground lamb (lamb mince) with a few pantry staple spices and then form them into long patties around skewers - super fast and tasty, PLUS everyone likes food on sticks, right?
Traditionally adana kebabs are cooked over hot coals, but I don't have access to that (!) so I cooked them in a pan, or you could use a barbecue. I have also included a garlicky yoghurt and eggplant sauce to serve with these kebabs.
To wrap these adana kebabs I use my soft flatbread recipe - and yes, they really do stay soft!
Table of Contents
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
- lamb mince (ground lamb)
- ground coriander seeds
- ground cumin
- fresh or dried rosemary
- fresh breadcrumbs
- an eggplant
- garlic
- greek style yoghurt
- tahini
- fresh lemon juice
- salt to taste
- Plus to serve - mini/baby/cherry tomatoes, Spanish/red onion, mint leaves, pine nuts, and leafy salad greens
*Please see the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions
My top tips for making this recipe
- I have allowed for two kebab skewers per person/serve. It's up to you if you would like to serve them both in one wrap or divide them between two wraps.
- Whenever I toast pine nuts I never use oil - I don't think it's needed. There is enough oil in them naturally and they dry-fry wonderfully.
- If you are cooking the kebabs on a barbecue, soak your bamboo skewers in water for an hour - this will help stop them burning. Also if you are frying them in a pan and are having trouble fitting the skewers in (me) just get a set of kitchen scissors and trim the bamboo skewers - to make it look presentable I would trim them all to the same length.
- When shaping the lamb around the skewers - make sure to enclose the long edge well or it may come open during cooking - not the end of the world (still tastes just as good!).
Serving suggestions and ideas for add-ins
- Chilli flakes are a great addition to these lamb kebabs.
- You could also add some powdered garlic into the mince mixture if you want to up the garlic flavour from just being in the sauce.
- Perfect for that upcoming backyard get together or cookout - just cook your kebabs then put them out along with your other pre-made salad ingredients and your guests can make their own. I guarantee the kids will love building them!
Other recipes you may enjoy
My family style Lamb Mince Pie - this is a rich and hearty, family-style pie made with lamb mince (ground lamb). Super easy, the whole family will love this rustic lamb pie!
Moroccan Lamb Shanks - soft, tender lamb shanks, slow-cooked in Moroccan spices until the meat just falls away from the bone!
Shawarma Rice - a Middle Eastern inspired one pot chicken and rice dish using thighs marinated in shawarma spices for a quick and easy dinner.
Lee-Ann ♥
Lamb Adana Kebabs
Ingredients
- 500 g ground lamb lamb mince
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves - finely chopped or scant ¼ teaspoon dried
- ½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 eggplant about 300g
- 1 small clove garlic crushed/minced
- 3 tbsp greek yoghurt I use low fat
- 1 tablespoon tahini sesame seed paste
- juice of 1 lemon about 2 tblsp
- salt to taste
- 200 g mini tomatoes quartered lengthways to serve
- ¼ Spanish onion finely chopped to serve
- ⅓ cup fresh mint leaves chopped to serve
- 2-3 cups leafy greens I used rocket/arugula & baby spinach to serve
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts to serve (see notes)
- 4-8 flatbreads to serve (see notes for recipe)
- 8 wooden/bamboo skewers
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 180c.
- Remove stem from eggplant and halve lengthways.
- Using a sharp knife cut a deep criss-cross pattern into cut side of eggplant - making sure not to cut all the way through.
- Place eggplant cut side up on an oven tray lined with baking/parchment paper, roast for 40 mins and let cool.
- Meanwhile add together ground lamb/lamb mince, ground coriander, ground cumin & rosemary, mix well with your hands to combine.
- Shape into 8 even sized balls, then roll into a long sausage shape, flatten slightly & wrap around wooded skewers, enclosing long edge well (see notes).
- Heat a non-stick pan (or barbecue) and cook kebabs on medium-high heat for about 10 mins - turning to browns all sides - or until cooked through.
- Using a melon baller or teaspoon, remove the flesh from the eggplant and add to a food processor, along with garlic, yoghurt, tahini, and lemon juice - process until smooth & add salt to taste & set aside.
- For salsa, combine mini tomatoes, Spanish onion & mint.
- Take one pita/flatbread, top with eggplant yoghurt, 1 or 2 lamb koftas, salsa, leafy greens & sprinkle with pine nuts and serve immediately.
Notes
- This is the soft flatbread recipe I use to wrap these kebabs. I have allowed for two kebab skewers per person/serve. It's up to you if you would like to serve them both in the one wrap or divide them between two wraps.
- Whenever I toast pine nuts I never use oil - I don't think it's needed. There is enough oil in them naturally and they dry-fry wonderfully.
- If you are cooking the koftas on a barbecue, soak your bamboo skewers in water for an hour - this will help stop them burning. Also if you are frying them in a pan and are having trouble fitting the skewers in (me) just get a set of kitchen scissors and trim the bamboo skewers - to make it look presentable I would trim them all to the same length.
- When shaping the lamb around the skewers - make sure to enclose the long edge well or it may come open during cooking - not the end of the world (still tastes just as good!).
Leave a Reply