Ingredients
- 1 pound ground lamb
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon whole fennel seeds
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup dried currants
- 1 large egg, lightly whisked
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup (8 ounces) plain, whole-milk yogurt
- Freshly squeezed juice from about ¼ lemon Zest from ¼ lemon
- ¼ cup of fresh mint leaves, torn into small pieces or roughly chopped
- A pinch of sea salt
- A grind of fresh black pepper
Preparation
Lamb Patties
Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and stir to coat. Cook the onion until it turns soft and slightly brown — about 5 minutes. Add the car rots and sauté for another five minutes. Add the spices to the onion-carrot mix, and stir to coat the onions and carrots with the spice blend. You want to sauté the mixture until it is aromatic — this should only take a couple of minutes. Place thawed lamb meat in a separate bowl, then add the sautéed spiced vegetables and stir to combine. Now add the salt, pepper, and dried currants, stirring to combine. Whisk the egg in a separate small bowl, then pour the egg into the meat mix. Gently fold or stir the egg into the meat mixture until just incorporated. Form meat into 3-inch round patties (you can make them bigger if you want) and place them on a baking sheet as you go. Heat a large skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of high-heat oil, such as coconut oil. Once the oil is heated, swirl it around in the pan to make sure it’s evenly coated. Make sure the pan is adequately hot before cooking the patties. You can test this by placing a small-sized bit of meat on the pan. If it sizzles, but doesn’t spit, the pan is good to go. If it spits, the pan may be too hot. Simply remove the pan from the heat source for a minute or two before cooking the meat. Place the lamb patties about 2 inches apart in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. You can also test for doneness with a thermometer. When the internal temperature of the patties reaches 155 degrees Fahrenheit, they are done. Transfer the patties to a serving platter and repeat process until all are cooked. Top with yogurt sauce, these patties are delicious served as a burger or wrapped in toasted pita bread with fresh greens. The flavor of these patties speaks for itself so they even go nicely atop nothing more than a fresh, simple salad.
Yogurt Sauce
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, taste and correct for saltiness. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
About this recipe
From Flavors of Health, by Ed Bauman and Lizette Marx, Adapted from Flavors of Health
