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Woman plating lamb kebab next to rice.
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5 from 2 votes

Indian-Inspired Lamb Kebabs

Rich lamb meat is wonderful on skewers and here perfectly complemented by a yogurt-based marinade with Indian flavors.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Marinate6 hours
Total Time6 hours 25 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4 People
Author: Katie Workman

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plain whole yogurt
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ⅛ teaspoon (big pinch) cayenne pepper
  • 2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder (cut into 1-inch cubes)

To Serve:

Instructions

  • Place the yogurt, lemon juice and zest, ginger, paprika, cumin, salt, pepper, coriander, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine, or place them in a food processor and blend to puree. Add the lamb cubes and toss to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours.
  • Soak about 20 6-inch wooden skewers, or 10 12-inch skewers, in water to cover for 30 minutes. You can also use metal skewers, which do not need soaking.
  • Thread the skewers with the lamb. Discard the remaining marinade.
  • Heat an outdoor grill to high, or heat a grill pan or a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Grill the kebabs 4 inches from the heat source, for about 8 minutes total for medium rare, turning them every few minutes to get nice grill marks on most sides of the meat.
  • Serve hot or at room temperature with the cilantro, lemon wedges and chutney, if desired.

Notes

  • If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you can slide the meat from the skewers and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The lamb would be amazing wrapped in a pita with some chutney, or heaped on a plate of quinoa or rice and reheated in the microwave just until heated through.
  • Consider making separate vegetable kebabs and letting everyone pull the different elements of the meal together on their own plates.
  • If you want to add vegetables to these kebabs, consider the optimal cooking time for the lamb (depending on how rare or not you like your lamb), and pick vegetables with similar cooking times (see Veggie Kebabs).
  • Cut this recipe in half for 1 pound of lamb meat if you have a smaller group.

Nutrition

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 700mg | Potassium: 587mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 593IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg