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Lamb Kofta

These lamb koftas at home are one of the easiest kebabs you can make in under 30 mins. Serve it with some mint chutney, roti and pickled onions for a delicious Ramadan meal.

The inspiration of this dish comes from a dear friend of mine by the name of Sabeen. She is one of the best chefs I know and when I tasted the lamb kofta she made it was exquisite! They were spicy, salty and smoky in every bite. She kindly gave me her recipe a couple of years ago since then I’ve made it very many times at home. This lamb kofta is my take on her classic recipe. It is simple but absolutely delicious to say the least. 

There are some important points to keep in mind while making this recipe and we will go through all of them every step of the way. I would suggest, if you are making this recipe you will need to serve it with some roti, chutney, yogurt, pickle and some salad to make it a complete meal. 

What ingredients do you need to make these Lamb Kofta?

Lamb mince –

It is important to mention that we need a good fatty lamb mince to make these kebabs. Most kofta/kebab recipes use the fat from kidneys or just plain fat that is added into the mince. However we don’t need to source the fat separately. What we need to do is ensure the lamb mince has some fat marbling through the meat. 

Dry spice mix – 

This spice mixture is a must and I wouldn’t recommend you skipping it, we need coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Kashmir chili, black pepper corns, bay leaves. They are all dry roasted before grinding to form a powder. The dry spices must be dry roasted as that brings out their flavor. 

We also need freshly chopped coriander, freshly chopped mint, green chili, golden fried onions, paprika powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, ghee, an egg and some gram flour. To make the pickled onions we need fresh onions (sliced), lemon juice, salt and a green chili. I like to use a piece of coal and some ghee to smoke the kofta once it is cooked, 

What equipment do you need to make these Lamb Kofta?

We need a grilling pan to make the kofta. W also need wooden skewers or any skewers that you can use on your grilling pan. If you are using wooden skewers you must soak them in water before using or else they will burn while you cook them. I use a large mixing bowl to combine the kofta mixture however I use my hands to mix it and we need to knead the ingredients to a smooth paste like consistency.

What substitutes can yo use to make the Lamb Kofta?

To make the Lamb Kofta I wouldn’t recommend substituting any any ingredients however you could use chili powder instead of the paprika powder, you could skip the garam masala but you cannot skip the dry spice mixture. I have used parsley instead of coriander to make the koftas and they are nice but coriander works best here. If you do not have ghee you can use butter but oil is not an option. 

How to make the Lamb Kofta?

Start by soaking the wooden skewers in water before hand. In a small sauté pan we dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Kashmir chili, black pepper corns and bay leaves until you can smell the spices. Let them cool down and grind to a fine powder. In a large mixing bowl add all the kofta ingredients including the lamb mince and using your hands, mix everything together until smooth and a paste like consistency. Using your hands take a little of the kofta mixture in your hand and press it into the water soaked wooden skewer. Leave a little space at the bottom of the skewer so you can hold the kebab once it is cooked through. Oil the koftas with a little oil and place them on a hot grilling pan. Cook on each side for 3 min or so. Do not over cook as they will get tough. Once done, transfer to a shallow dish and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top. To smoke the kebabs, heat up a piece of coal over the fire and let it get hot on all sides. Once done, use a a pair of tongs and place it onto a large piece of foil. Transfer the foil to the shallow dish with the cooked koftas and pour over some ghee onto the coal. Seal the shallow dish with foil and let it smoke for a few minutes. 

While this is going on, we make the pickled onion by adding salt and lemon juice. Using your hands massage the onions and place a slit green chili into the bowl. Serve the koftas with green chutney, you can fins my recipe here, roti and pickled onions. 

Alternatively you can cook the koftas over a BBQ or outdoor grill if you have access to it. 

How to store the Lamb Kofta?

You can shape the kebabs and transfer them to a zip lock bag. Place them in the freezer and cook when needed. Once they kebabs are cooked through you can store the in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. After which they can get dry.

No that we have covered how to make these Lamb Koftas, let us get smoking. Happy Cooking Ninjas!

Lamb Kofta

These lamb koftas at home are one of the easiest kebabs you can make in under 30 mins. Serve it with some mint chutney, roti and pickled onions for a delicious Ramadan meal.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer, Celebration, Dinner, Finger food, Iftar, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack, Starter, Suhoor
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 12 Koftas

Equipment

  • Wooden skewers
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Grinder
  • Sauté pan

Ingredients
  

Dry spice mixture

  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper corns
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 3 Kashmiri chilies
  • 3-4 Cardamom
  • 1 large Bay leaf

Lamb mince mixture

  • 500 gm Lamb mince with fat
  • 2 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup Fried brown onions chopped
  • 1/2 cup Fresh coriander chopped
  • 1/2 cup Fresh mint chopped
  • 1 Green chili chopped
  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 tbsp Gram flour
  • 2 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 tsp Paprika powder
  • 1/2 Lime juice
  • Pickled onions
  • 2 Onions
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 green chili

Serve with

  • Naan/Roti
  • Mint chutney
  • Fresh coriander
  • Lime wedges

Instructions
 

  • Start by soaking the wooden skewers in water before hand.
  • In a small sauté pan we dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, Kashmir chili, black pepper corns and bay leaves until you can smell the spices. Let them cool down and grind to a fine powder.
  • In a large mixing bowl add all the kofta ingredients including the lamb mince and using your hands, mix everything together until smooth and a paste like consistency. Using your hands take a little of the kofta mixture in your hand and press it into the water soaked wooden skewer. Leave a little space at the bottom of the skewer so you can hold the kebab once it is cooked through.
  • Oil the koftas with a little oil and place them on a hot grilling pan. Cook on each side for 3 min or so. Do not over cook as they will get tough.
  • Once done, transfer to a shallow dish and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.
  • To smoke the kebabs, heat up a piece of coal over the fire and let it get hot on all sides. Once done, use a a pair of tongs and place it onto a large piece of foil. Transfer the foil to the shallow dish with the cooked koftas and pour over some ghee onto the coal. Seal the shallow dish with foil and let it smoke for a few minutes.
  • While this is going on, we make the pickled onion by adding salt and lemon juice. Using your hands massage the onions and place a slit green chili into the bowl.
  • Serve the koftas with green chutney, you can fins my recipe here, roti and pickled onions.

Notes

  • Do not over cook the kofta. But ensure the grilling pan is hot this will keep the meat juicy once it cooks.

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