updated: This has just been awarded the weekly winner of the Golden Gnome award for “Best Main Course” on Make Me Hungry’s flickr group. View here.

Melbourne’s been extremely hot lately and, no one, I’m sure feels like cooking in this type of heat! It’s not the fact that it’s thirty-seven degrees, but the fact, that it hasn’t cooled down for five or days in a row. Our houses are muggy and unbearable to sleep, let alone cook!
The idea for these kebabs came to me after my mum used to make a meat-version of mince koftas occasionally for the barbecue. These were delicious and could be eaten cold with yoghurt. They certainly are a perfect meal to have on a hot day and can be cooked on the bbq or indoors very quickly, so it won’t heat up the place!

In my photo, the koftas are served with couscous and a dressing of yoghurt. The couscous is a mixture of sage, cumin, white pepper and fresh coriander with a little lime juice and vegetarian chicken-style stock - a great combination. The yoghurt is a combination of salt, white pepper, lime juice and a touch of tomato sauce.

You can also serve this with tzatziki or salsa on a bed of infused couscous. Unsure how to cook couscous? Try my Mushroom & Fetta CousCous!

Serves:

• makes 10 skewers

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Vegetarian mince (I used Sanitarium)
• 0.25 red onion diced
• 4 tbs yoghurt
• 3/4 tsp cumin seeds bashed to bring out flavour
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1-2 tsp egg replacer or 1 egg beaten
• 2tbs lime juice
• 1 tsp garlic mince
• 1/2 tsp ginger mince
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped roughly
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 2-3 tbs breadcrumbs
• 5 basil leaves torn
• skewers, soaked in water

Instructions:

1. Place the onions, lime juice and spices into a large bowl.
2. Break the mince up and place into the bowl also, mixing through with your hands.
3. Once it’s mixed through well, add the yoghurt and egg replacer into the dish and using your hands once again to mix.
4. Place in the breadcrumbs, only putting in enough to ensure the mixture binds together well, mixing again with your hands.
5. Grab a skewer and a half a handful of mince. Place it around the skewer, squashing it around and into a thin sausage shape.
6. Place some oil in the fry pan or bbq and place about four on at a time, twisting when brown.
7. When each side is brown, take them off and serve!