When it comes to flavour, its pretty hard to mess up when fresh coriander, chilli, lemon and ginger are in town. They are the most solid of friendship groups and welcome a host of other ingredients with open arms. I always make sure I’ve got a supply of each in my fridge, especially during the summer when these light, zingy flavours are most suited.
If you’re struggling about what to have for supper one night and fancy getting a bit creative without having to use any special equipment then have a go at this recipe. It’s so simple to make and tastes out of this world! You could even cut your work load by buying some wholegrain wraps, but I personally think making the flat breads is half the fun! These flat breads don’t use any yeast and don’t need time to prove.I always get a bit of a buzz when I pull off something new so give it a go and the rewards will be worth the extra effort.
Here is what you’ll need to feed 4 hungry people;
For the Kebabs
– 1 Pack of Kebab Skewers (can find in any supermarket)
– 500g Lamb Mince
– 1 Red Onion, finely diced
– 1 Bunch of Corriander, chopped
– 1 Lemon, zested
– 2 Red chillies, de-seeded and finely diced
– 2 teaspoons Cumin powder
– 1/3 Bunch of Mint, chopped
– A good sprinkling of Sea salt and Black Pepper
For the Flat Breads (taken from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingston)
– 500g Plain Flour
– 2 Teaspoons Sea Salt
– 2 Tablespoons Rape Seed Oil or Olive Oil
– 300mls Warm Water
For the Cucumber and Mint Yoghurt
– 500g Greek Style Yoghurt
– 1/2 Cucumber, very finely diced
– 2/3 Bunch mint (a handful), finely chopped
– Olive oil for drizzling
To serve
– 1 Baby gem lettuce
– Lemon Juice
Method;
1. First, preheat your oven to 180’C and soak your kebab sticks in some water. This will prevent them burning when you later cook the meat.
2. Start by making your flat breads. Sift the flour and salt in to a mixing bowl. Add the oil and water and bring together using your hands until it has formed a dough.
3. Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out. Kneed for a few minutes until its all come together and has an elastic consistency.Cover and rest until you’re ready to cook them.
4. Next we move on to the Kofta mix. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix until well combined. Remove your sticks from the water and lightly pat dry. Divide your mince mixture in to either 4 or 8 portions depending on the size you’d like and shape the meat around each skewer. Drizzle olive oil over your koftas.
5. A griddle pan works best for koftas but a large frying pan will do. Heat your pan on a high heat and brown your koftas on each side in batches as you don’t want to crowd your pan. Place on a baking tray and set aside while you make your flat breads and yoghurt.
6. For the yoghurt, combine all of the ingredients and put in to a bowl. Drizzle over some olive oil and swirl around to slightly marble it.
7. For the flat breads, roll your dough in to a sausage shape and divide in to 8 portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion in to a rough circle about 2-3mm thick. Heat a non-stick frying pan and one at a time, cook your flat breads for a minute or two or until they start to char in places then flip it over and cook for another 45 seconds. Put your breads on a plate under a clean tea towel. When you’re halfway through cooking your flat breads, put the koftas in the oven to finish off cooking.
8. Serve by putting a flat bread on each plate. Dollop a generous amount of the yoghurt, followed by a couple of leaves of baby gem and finally your koftas with a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkling of fresh corriander. And there you have it! A Middle Eastern classic for dinner whenever you fancy it.
Soph's food affair 