Mediterranean · Main course · 40 min

Lamb Koftas with Yoghurt Dip

Name: Lamb Koftas with Yoghurt Dip
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 500 g minced lamb; 0.5 onion, grated; 4 tbsp panko or breadcrumbs; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp fresh coriander or mint, chopped; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander seeds; 2 tsp paprika; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper (up to 3/4 tsp for more heat); 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 0.5 tbsp oil (for frying); 8 skewers; 250 g thick yoghurt (plain, e.g. Greek); 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 clove garlic, crushed; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 0.25 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp pepper; 8 small flatbreads; red cabbage, carrot and mint as a finely sliced salad (or lettuce, tomato and onion rings)

Spiced minced lamb skewers with cumin, coriander and cinnamon, browned in a pan and served in flatbread with garlic yoghurt.

As of: 11 October 2026

Preparation

For the yoghurt sauce, stir all the ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes so the flavours come together.
Grate the onion straight into the bowl, then add the mince, panko, garlic, herbs, all the spices, salt and pepper and knead well with your hands.
With damp hands divide into eight equal portions and shape each lengthways around a skewer, smooth or slightly uneven.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the koftas in batches for 5 to 8 minutes, turning to brown all over; only turn once a crust has formed, otherwise they stick.
Spread the flatbreads with yoghurt sauce, top with salad and koftas and drizzle with a little more sauce.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Syrah or Grenache, e.g. Côtes du Rhône
Peppery spice and dark fruit stand up to the cumin, cinnamon and the roasted crust of the lamb.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied dry rosé from Provence or Tavel
Red fruit and freshness go with yoghurt, mint and flatbread without getting lost against the spices.
IPA · good match
Pale ale or a not-too-bitter IPA
Hop spice meets cumin and coriander and the carbonation cuts the lamb fat; too much bitterness would accentuate the cayenne.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces
Floral gin · good match
Gin and tonic with a floral gin, plenty of ice, a mint leaf
Coriander seed and botanicals in the gin mirror the spices, while tonic and ice cool the mild cayenne heat.
Gin styles: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and more

With the same drinks

This pairs well too.

Mediterranean · Main course · 40 min

Lamb Koftas with Yoghurt Dip

Spiced minced lamb skewers with cumin, coriander and cinnamon, browned in a pan and served in flatbread with garlic yoghurt.

As of: 11 October 2026

Preparation

For the yoghurt sauce, stir all the ingredients together and chill for at least 20 minutes so the flavours come together.
Grate the onion straight into the bowl, then add the mince, panko, garlic, herbs, all the spices, salt and pepper and knead well with your hands.
With damp hands divide into eight equal portions and shape each lengthways around a skewer, smooth or slightly uneven.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Fry the koftas in batches for 5 to 8 minutes, turning to brown all over; only turn once a crust has formed, otherwise they stick.
Spread the flatbreads with yoghurt sauce, top with salad and koftas and drizzle with a little more sauce.

Drink with it

Red wine · excellent match
Syrah or Grenache, e.g. Côtes du Rhône
Peppery spice and dark fruit stand up to the cumin, cinnamon and the roasted crust of the lamb.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing
Rosé · good match
Full-bodied dry rosé from Provence or Tavel
Red fruit and freshness go with yoghurt, mint and flatbread without getting lost against the spices.
IPA · good match
Pale ale or a not-too-bitter IPA
Hop spice meets cumin and coriander and the carbonation cuts the lamb fat; too much bitterness would accentuate the cayenne.
What Is an IPA? Hop Aroma with Many Faces
Floral gin · good match
Gin and tonic with a floral gin, plenty of ice, a mint leaf
Coriander seed and botanicals in the gin mirror the spices, while tonic and ice cool the mild cayenne heat.
Gin styles: London Dry, Old Tom, Navy Strength, and more

With the same drinks

Lamb Koftas with Yoghurt Dip

Preparation

Drink with it

Syrah or Grenache, e.g. Côtes du Rhône

Full-bodied dry rosé from Provence or Tavel

Pale ale or a not-too-bitter IPA

Gin and tonic with a floral gin, plenty of ice, a mint leaf

This pairs well too.

Albóndigas in Tomato Sauce (Spanish meatballs)

Beef Carpaccio with Rocket and Parmesan

Beef Empanadas

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce

Lamb Koftas with Yoghurt Dip

Preparation

Drink with it

Syrah or Grenache, e.g. Côtes du Rhône

Full-bodied dry rosé from Provence or Tavel

Pale ale or a not-too-bitter IPA

Gin and tonic with a floral gin, plenty of ice, a mint leaf

This pairs well too.

Albóndigas in Tomato Sauce (Spanish meatballs)

Beef Carpaccio with Rocket and Parmesan

Beef Empanadas

Beef Enchiladas with Red Sauce