Lamb Kebabs - Baron-style!

I've been wanting to nail the 'lamb kebab' ever since trying out the doner kebab recipe from Boak & Bailey. It's not quite done it for me though,sometimes being too 'meaty' other times too soggy. I decided that it was time to perfect the sheekh kebab. I've taken two recipes and blended them together to create exactly the type of lamb kebab I'm looking for.

This recipe comfortably feeds two people, scale up if you need more, or scale down if you need less!

Note: Wear disposable gloves if you don't want your fingers to stink of raw lamb or have chilli juice embedded into them - It's a bugger if you get it in the eye - I know from experience! :(

Ingredients

• 500g lamb mince - get it from a butcher and ask for it to be "thrice minced" - gets you the right texture
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 3 fresh green finger chillies - de-seed them, I run them under the tap and rip out the seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

• Measure out all spices and mix together, de-seed chillies and finely chop with the onion , add to spice mix
• Mix all together to ensure a good blend
• Add lamb and mix with you hands,squashing it all together to ensure not only a good mix but a fine consistency of meat - you don't want strands of mince in the mixture, make it nice and mushed
• Form into a big ball, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for around 2 hours to firm up (it's tough to make the kebabs stick to the sticks from 'fresh').
• Place 4 kebab skewers in water to soak (stops them burning whilst cooking)
• Cut the mixture into 4 and roll into a fat sausage shape with you hands, insert the skewer and then roll/toss/squeeze in your hands to form kebab shapes - place on greased baking tray
• Place back in fridge until ready to cook
• Pre-heat oven to 200degC, drizzle kebabs with olive oil and put the tray on the top shelf for 15 minutes
• Remove and rotate kebabs and return for a further 15 minutes
• Remove and rotate and return for around 5-10 minutes depending on how brown they are looking
• Remove when they look done, cut lengthways to ensure they are cooked

Serving

• Take one heated Aldi naan, cover with a good layer of their hot mango chutney
• Add slices of tomato and cucumber
• Add a decent handful of lettuce and sliced cabbage (red or white is fine)
• Add a squirt of Aldi's garlic mayo
• Slice each kebab in two and place four slices to cover the salad
• Add additional garlic may to suit
• Serve with a hoppy spicy pale ale and enjoy!

This recipe was a combination of the Indian Style Sheekh Kebab from AllRecipes and Keema Nan from Mamta's Kitchen - blended together in my mind make a perfect lamb kebab!