Ingredients

The following ingredients have 9 Servings
  • 1 lb Ground beef (25% fat or 75% lean)
  • 1 cup Onion (finely chopped )
  • 4 large Garlic cloves (finely minced)
  • 3 inch Fresh Ginger (grated)
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp Paprika (or cayenne pepper )
  • 2 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Olive oil
  • 1 cup Parsley, cilantro, mint (chopped I used all three but any two works too)
  • ½ tsp Kosher salt
  • ½ tsp Black pepper
  • 10 bamboo Skewers (soaked in water for 30 minutes )
  • ¼ cup Cooking oil (for grilling )

Instruction

  • Combine - In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Pro tip - We combine all the ingredients before processing to prevent overprocessing.
  • Process - Transfer the mixture to the food processor and pulse no more than 8 to 10 times. Pro tip - processing in the food processor makes the mixture slightly stick by distributing the fat. This helps the meat and marinade hold together.
  • Marinate - Transfer the meat back to the bow and leave to marinate for 15 minutes on the counter or up to overnight in the fridge. Pro tip - Alternatively, you can thread the meat on the skewers and leave in the fridge until ready to grill.
  • Thread/shape kababs - shaping these can be tricky so pay attention.- Take about 1/3 cup amount of beef mixture and make a ball then shape it into a long sausage. - Thread the skewer through the sausage. - Now using your fingers press them around the meat as if you are making a fist pressing the meat to the skewer. - Be gentle not to break the sausage but firm enough so it adheres to the skewersPro tip - dipping your hands in water will make the meat less sticky. Gloves do not help much.
  • Hot grill - Heat a grill or cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Brush the grill with cooking oil. Pro tip - The grill must be very hot but not smoking hot otherwise the meat will stick to the grill.
  • Grill - Place the skewers on the grill and let cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Brush them with oil to keep them moist. The char marks can be controlled by raising and lowing the heat under the grill.Pro tip - do not try to move the kebabs for the first 3 minutes as they will be stuck to the grill. otherwise, you will break them. After 3 minutes they should release on their own.
  • Serve immediately with rice or pita topped with tahini sauce or yogurt sauce and a side salad.