Lamb Kofta

Squeeze the grated onion in a clean cloth or between your palms and wring out as much liquid as possible — excess onion water makes the mixture loose and the kofta will not hold on the skewer. Combine the drained onion with the ground lamb, parsley, all the spices, and salt in a large bowl. Mix and knead by hand for 3 to 4 minutes — not just stirring, but squeezing, folding, and pressing the mixture against the side of the bowl. This develops the myosin proteins in the lamb, binding the mixture so it holds its shape without any added egg or breadcrumb. The mixture should shift from loose and crumbly to smooth, sticky, and cohesive.

Wet your hands with cold water to prevent sticking. Take a handful of the chilled mixture (about 80–100 g) and mold it around a flat metal skewer, starting from the center and pressing the meat firmly onto the skewer as you work your hands toward each end. The kofta should be roughly 15 to 18 cm long, about 2 to 2.5 cm thick, with gently tapered ends that taper to secure the meat to the skewer. Squeeze firmly — especially near the ends — to seal the meat onto the metal. A properly attached kofta will not rotate around the skewer when you turn it. Lay the shaped kofta on a tray and refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up before grilling.

Prepare a charcoal grill with a high heat zone — the coals should be white-ashed and glowing intensely. If using a gas grill, preheat to maximum. Oil the grate lightly. Lay the skewers across the grate and grill, turning a quarter-turn every 90 seconds, for a total of 6 to 8 minutes. You want all four sides developed: deep char marks, blistered and caramelized with rendered fat dripping and flaring the coals below. The kofta should have a bold char on the outside while the interior stays juicy — an internal temperature of 70 C / 158 F is sufficient for well-blended ground meat. Do not press with a spatula; this squeezes out the juices.

Slide the kofta from the skewers onto a serving platter or individual plates with a swift, confident pull — they should release cleanly. Scatter generously with sumac, which adds a tart, fruity brightness that cuts the richness of the lamb fat and lifts the entire dish. Serve immediately with warm flatbread, a chopped parsley and tomato salad, tahini sauce, and pickles. Kofta must be eaten the moment they come from the grill — they lose their succulence rapidly as they cool and the fat begins to solidify.