Does anything scream “HELLO SUMMER! WARM MY BONES!” like a kofte kebab?! I think not. Although, you are very welcome to disagree with me… I do tend to get a little carried away when it comes to matching my eating with my seasons.
Look. I want to be the first to point out the obvious here… these kofte kebabs aren’t exactly the most photogenic. Probably why I insisted on dolling them up with some little pomegranate jewels, tbh (well, that, and they taste great). But, I stand by them being an absolute flavour sensation!
The recipe for this came about when I realised that somehow, in my 32 years of living, I had never cooked with sumac. So, armed with my newly purchased jar of sumac, I returned home to ponder what delicious dish I could show off my fancy new spice with.
Enter the kofte kebab! So delicious, so spicy, and just so more-ish. But also really, really filling – so you probably will just have to stop eating, despite wanting more.
These are a real breeze to throw together and would honestly be like 1000% (I know this is not mathematically possible, but allow me the drama, please) more delicious if they were cooked on an actual BBQ. But, if I don’t have a garden, I certainly don’t have a BBQ – so my trusty little oven grill had to suffice.
I made 6 smaller kebabs so everyone could have two each – but you can certainly make four larger kebabs for four people if you need to. Oh, and please don’t leave off the little maple glaze brushed on the kebabs after cooking. I think I commented on how good it was with the maple glaze at least, oh, EVERY SINGLE BITE OF THE KEBAB.
Give it a go and let me know how you get on in the comments.
Vegan Kofte Kebabs
Serves 3 with 6 kebabs (or serves 4 with 4 x larger kebabs)
Ingredients
6 Skewers
400g Vegan Meat-Free Mince (I used The Meatless Farm Co.)
1 Garlic Clove, minced
1 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 tbsp Sumac
1 tbsp Chilli Flakes
2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
For the Tzatziki:
150ml Soy Yoghurt
1/2 Cucumber, deseeded and grated
1 tbsp Mint, finely chopped
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Pinch Salt and Pepper
To Serve:
3 large Flatbreads or Pita (or your choice of wrap!)
100g Rocket Leaves
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Cucumber, chopped
Onion, thinly sliced
Juice of half a lemon
Pinch of Salt & Pepper
1 bunch (30g) of Flat-Leaf Parsley, leaves picked
1/4 Cup of Pomegranate Seeds
Method
- In a large bowl, mix together vegan mince, garlic, ginger, sumac, chilli flakes, cumin, and coriander.
- Divide your mixture into six even portions and using your hand mould these individual portions around the skewers. Set aside on a baking tray, while you heat up your oven’s grill.
- While the grill is heating, prepare any sides that need a little extra attention:
- Make the tzatziki by combining all the ingredients – yoghurt, cucumber, mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper – in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- To prepare the onions – in a small bowl, mix the thinly sliced onions with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper – set aside until serving along with your chopped cucumber, tomatoes and salad leaves.
- Once your grill is hot, place your tray of kebab skewers underneath and cook for 5 minutes, before turning over and cooking the other side for a further 5 minutes.
- While the kebabs are cooking, heat up your flatbreads in a griddle pan. Cook each side of the bread for about 30 seconds or until warmed through.
- Remove your skewers from the oven then brush each kebab with maple syrup to glaze, followed by a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Now to assemble – I like to add a layer of tzatziki to the flatbread, followed by some rocket, parsley leaves, tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Then, slide the kebabs off the skewers on top of the salad before topping with tzatziki and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.
- Enjoy!
Ready for Pinning!
