Lamb Koftas With Mint Yogurt

Ingredients

• 500 g lamb mince
• 1 onion, finely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200 g Greek yogurt
• 15 g fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 4 flatbreads or pittas
• 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 15 g fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• Chopped salad, to serve

Method

1. Squeeze the excess liquid from the grated onion with your hands — if it's wet, the mix loosens and the koftas fall off the skewer. Tip the lamb mince into a large bowl with the cooked red lentils, squeezed onion, grated garlic, cumin, ground coriander, smoked paprika and chilli flakes. Season generously with salt and plenty of black pepper — this is the only chance to season the meat itself, so don't be shy.
2. Mix firmly with your hands for a full minute until the spices disappear into the meat and the texture turns tacky and uniform. The garlic is going in raw and will cook through in the kofta — no separate frying step, so no risk of burning it.
3. Divide into 12 and shape around skewers into oval koftas, pressing firmly so they grip the wood. No skewers? Shape into small sausages for the pan instead.
4. Heat the olive oil in a heavy stainless or cast-iron frying pan (or griddle pan) over high heat until it shimmers. Lay the koftas in two batches — don't crowd the pan, or they'll steam in their own juices instead of charring. As they hit the hot surface the spices bloom into the oil, fragrant and toasty, which is exactly what you want; raw spices taste dusty, bloomed spices taste of themselves.
5. Cook for 3–4 minutes each side, turning once, until deeply charred outside and just cooked through — lamb is at its best with a touch of pink in the middle. Rest for a couple of minutes off the heat while you build the rest.
6. Stir the Greek yoghurt together with the chopped mint, the lemon zest and half the lemon juice. Season with salt, then taste — you want it sharp and herby enough to cut through the lamb. Adjust now, not at the table.
7. Warm the flatbreads in a dry pan for 30 seconds each side until pliable and lightly blistered at the edges.
8. Pile the koftas onto the warm flatbreads, spoon over a generous dollop of the mint yoghurt, scatter the halved cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley, drizzle with tahini, tear over the extra mint and finish with a squeeze of the remaining lemon juice over the lot.