SEEKH KEBABS

• servings: 12
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 80 minutes

Ingredients

1 small onion, roughly chopped

¼ small green pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped

2 plump green chillies (deseeded)

15g chunk of fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 tsp flaked sea salt

2 tsp garam masala (see page 345 or use ready-made)

¼ tsp hot chilli powder

1 tbsp tomato purée

400g lean minced lamb

3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

1-3 tbsp plain flour (optional)

4-5 tbsp sunflower oil freshly ground black pepper lemon wedges, mixed salad, dips and chutneys, for serving

Directions

Put the onion, green pepper, chillies, ginger, garlic, salt, garam masala, chilli powder and tomato purée in a food processor. Season with lots of freshly ground black pepper - and we mean lots. Add more than you imagine you'll need to be sure of a great flavour.

Blitz the ingredients into as smooth a paste as you can make it. You'll need to remove the lid of the food processor and push the mixture down with a spatula a few times. Add the lamb and blitz once more. Tip the mixture into a bowl and stir in the coriander. Cover with cling film and chill for about an hour to allow the mixture to stiffen a little.

Divide the mince mixture into 12 portions and roll them into balls. Then form each ball into a long, fairly thin sausage shape, about 15cm long. If your mince becomes a little sticky, either roll with wet hands or dust your hands with plain flour as you roll.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Gently place a few kebabs into the pan and cook for about 10 minutes over a medium heat until golden brown and cooked through, turning them often. It's best to cook these kebabs in batches of up to 6 at a time, depending on the size of your pan, and keep each batch warm as the next is prepared. You shouldn't need to add any extra oil as some will be released through the fat in the lamb.

Serve the kebabs hot with lemon wedges for squeezing, salad and some dips and chutneys. This mince mixture also makes excellent kofta balls that can also be eaten cold or made in advance and warmed through in a hot pan or on a baking tray in a preheated oven.

Notes

Top tip from us - cook these kebabs like sausages in a frying pan with a little oil, as they hold together well and are easy to turn. That's what we like to do but if you prefer, shape the mince mixture around skewers and pop them under the grill until cooked through. Makes 12