Kebabs

Grilled Kaftas With Cucumber Laban

Name: Grilled Kaftas 2
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 600g minced meat; 1 red onion, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg; 1/4 tsp ground cumin; 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 1/4 tsp ground paprika; 40g pine nuts, roasted; 60g golden sultanas (raisins, currants), roughly chopped; 1/2 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Cucumber Laban (cucumber yoghurt dip); 2 cups plain yogurt; 1/4 large cucumber (+-10cm), grated; 1 garlic clove, crushed; +-15 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped; Juice of 1/2 a lemon; Zest of 1/2 a lemon; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; Olive oil, for drizzling; Mini pita bread, lightly grilled for serving

Serve these kaftas as an appetiser or alongside other braai meat.

Method

Combine all the kafta ingredients in a bowl, season well with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
Using your hands, shape the beef mixture into balls about the size of golf balls. Thread each ball onto a metal or soaked wooden skewer and squash into a sausage shape. Refrigerate until needed.
To make the dipping sauce, combine the yogurt with the cucumber, garlic, mint, lemon juice and zest and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more lemon juice if needed. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the dipping sauce before serving.
Brush oil on the kaftas and grill on a hot fire or griddle pan, turning occasionally until cooked through and brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Heat up the pita bread alongside the kaftas.
Dip the kaftas in the fresh and zingy yoghurt sauce and serve with the warmed pita bread.