Iraq's beloved minced-lamb skewer, notably fatty and coarsely ground, pressed long and thin onto wide blades and eaten folded into samoon or tannour bread with sumac onions and amba. Baghdad kebab houses judge themselves on the meat's char-to-juice ratio alone.
Also known as: kabab Iraqi, kebab araqi, kabab al-iraqi, Baghdad kebab
Ingredients
- 700 g coarsely minced lamb, 25-30% fat (single grind)
- 1 small onion, chopped very fine but not grated
- 20 g parsley, chopped
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 0.25 tsp baharat (optional)
- 4 samoon or tanoor breads
- 1 onion sliced with 1 tsp sumac
- amba sauce, to serve
How to make it
- 1
Fold the onion, parsley and seasonings through the mince with a light hand; Baghdad kebab keeps its coarse, open grain.
- 2
Chill the mixture 1 h so the fat firms.
- 3
Press long, thin fingers of meat down wide flat skewers, thinner than you think right.
- 4
Grill over fierce coals 3-4 min per side until the crust is mahogany and fat drips freely.
- 5
Drag a piece of bread over the hot skewer to pull the kebab off, and serve with sumac onions and amba.
Pro tip: One coarse grind and minimal kneading is the Iraqi signature; work it smooth and you have made lyulya, not kebab.
