Spiced Lamb with Cooling Yogurt Sauce

12
Points®
Total Time
20 min
Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Moderate
Richly spiced and hearty, this boldly flavored dish is a snap to prepare and ready in under 20 minutes. Ground lamb, cumin, ginger and garlic are the heart of the dish. Formed and threaded onto skewers, these patties grill beautifully like the Middle Eastern street food they mirror. A cool and crunchy yogurt sauce rounds out the dish with hints of fresh mint and cucumber. A bowl of whole-wheat couscous sprinkled with a generous dose of thinly sliced scallions and mint is the perfect side to this dish. Add some roasted cauliflower florets for added flavor and a heavy hit of veggies. If the weather turns, use your grill pan or skillet to cook up your lamb patties.

Ingredients

Plain fat free yogurt

½ cup(s)

English cucumber

¼ medium, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced (1/2 cup)

Peppermint leaves

1 Tbsp, fresh, thinly sliced

Table salt

¼ tsp

Table salt

tsp

Raw lean ground lamb

1 pound(s)

Fresh ginger

2 tsp, fresh, peeled and minced

Garlic

1 clove(s), crushed with a press

Ground cumin

1 tsp

Paprika

½ tsp, hot, preferably smoked

Romaine lettuce

2 cup(s), shredded, very thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill to medium or prepare a medium fire.
  2. Stir together the yogurt, cucumber, mint, and the pinch of salt in a serving bowl. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.
  3. Mix together the lamb, ginger, garlic, cumin, paprika, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl just until well blended. With damp hands, form the lamb mixture into 8 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties. Thread one patty on each of 8 (6- to 8-inch) metal skewers.
  4. Place the skewers on the grill rack and grill, turning, until the lamb is browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the patties from the skewers. Spread the romaine on a small platter and place the lamb patties on top. Serve with the yogurt sauce.
  5. Yields 1/2 cup romaine, 2 lamb patties, and 1/4 cup yogurt sauce per serving.