Authentic Turkish-style kebabs with a cooling cucumber yogurt sauce

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Authentic Turkish-style kebabs aren't chunks of grilled meat on a stick. Instead, they are ground lamb or beef mixed with spices and shaped around a skewer into a sausage shape.  In this recipe, adapted from one by Chef Ozlem Warren, pistachios are mixed in, and the grilled kebabs are served with roasted vegetables and Minted Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.

See Also

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Ingredients
  • 12 mini peppers (red, yellow and orange)
  • 4 medium tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 medium onion, halved and cut in chunky slices
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 1-3/4 pounds ground lamb, beef or combination of both
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 tablespoons shelled pistachios
  • 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or paprika
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Wooden skewers soaked 30 minutes in warm water
  • 1 large flat bread or 4 pita breads
  • 1 lemon, quartered
  • 1 cup Minted Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes


  • Total Time: 65 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4


Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss peppers, tomatoes and onions with the olive oil and Kosher salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, then spread the vegetables in a single layer on a baking tray.in a baking tray. Roast 35-40 minutes, turning them once during the roasting. Remove from oven, cover with foil and set aside.
  2. While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the kebabs. Drizzle some olive oil into a small bowl of water, and set aside. Put the pistachios into a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped.


  1. Transfer the pistachios to a mixing bowl, and add the lamb or beef, ground pepper, red pepper flakes or paprika, onions garlic and parsley. Season with Kosher salt and pepper, then mix to combine well the ingredients.
  2. Moisten your hands with the water-olive oil, and form the meat mixture into sausage-shaped kebabs, about 4-inches in length and 1-inch in diameter. Insert a soaked skewer through the center of the kebab and shape the meat to cling tightly to the skewer. Prepare the other kebabs, keeping your hands moistened.
  3. Cut the flat bread or pita into long strips, about 2-inches wide. Heat the grill or broiler, and cook one side of the kebabs. Lay the flat bread or pita strips on a baking sheet underneath the kebabs. Turn the kebabs and cook the other side, allowing the cooking juices to drip on to the flat bread.
  4. Arrange the flat bread strips on a platter, then lay the grilled kebabs on top. Surround the kebabs with the roasted vegetables and serve with the lemon and Minted Cucumber Yogurt Sauce.


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