The juiciest and most tasty kebabs are grilled using an Armenian recipe, the secret lies in the fresh herbs. Serve with yogurt and the tomato-based spicy raw Esme sauce!

Ingredients

Servings: 6

For the kebabs:

• 800 g lamb shoulder mince
• 2 onions, grated
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 50 g parsley, finely chopped
• 6 mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin or cumin seeds
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried mint
• ½ tsp white pepper (optional)
• Salt, black pepper

For the esme salad:

• 1 large firm, ripe tomato, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 5 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp tomato paste
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ tsp sumac (optional)
• 1 ½ tsp Aleppo pepper or hot paprika
• Salt, black pepper

For serving:

• A bit of strained yogurt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint
• Pita bread of your choice

Instructions

Step 1
Kebabs: In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and knead very well. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. Shape into medium-sized kebabs and cook according to your preference, keeping them juicy. Mix the mint into the yogurt.

Step 2
Serve the kebabs with the Esme salad, yogurt, and pita bread.