Iraqi lamb kofta kebabs

Make these lamb kebabs with harissa aubergines. The winner of Celebrity MasterChef UK 2020 shares the recipe that transports his dad back to his homeland

Prep:25 mins
Cook:1 hrs

Serves 6
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 327
fat 26g
saturates 11g
carbs 4g
sugars 0g
fibre 4g
protein 17g
salt 1.3g

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves , crushed or grated
thumb-sized piece of ginger , peeled and finely grated
2 shallots , roughly chopped
small handful of parsley , roughly chopped
2 mint sprigs , leaves picked and roughly chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp tomato purée
500g lamb mince
1 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
hummus , fattoush salad, flatbreads and tzatziki, to serve (optional)
6 baby aubergines
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
75g butter
2 tbsp harissa

Method

First, make the aubergines. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and score the flesh crosswise, being careful not to cut all the way through. Combine the oil and cumin in a small bowl and season well. Brush this over the aubergines. Roast for 45 mins or until soft. Remove to a platter.
Melt the butter in a small pan and fry the harissa with a pinch of salt for a few minutes. Drizzle this over the cooked aubergines.
Meanwhile, put the garlic, ginger, shallots, parsley, half the mint, the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, tomato purée and 1 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper in a food processor. Blitz until everything is finely chopped, about 30 seconds.
Tip the lamb into a large bowl and add the spice mix, stirring until everything is well combined. If using bamboo skewers, soak these for 15 mins before continuing.
Form rough handfuls of the lamb mixture into meatballs and thread these onto the skewers. Roll the meat in your hands to flatten into an egg-like shape. Continue until all the mixture has been used.
Heat the grill to high and grill the kofta for about 6 mins, then turn and cook for a further 6 mins, or until the meat is cooked through. Put the kofta on top of the aubergines and scatter over the remaining mint, coriander and pomegranate seeds. Serve with hummus, fattoush salad, flatbreads and tzatziki, if you like.