Ingredients

500g of minced lamb or veal or beef (or a combination of both), with at least 20% fat content; 1 medium onion (grated); 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped); 2 cloves of garlic; 1 tbsp of mild red pepper flakes or paprika; 1 tsp of cumin; 1 tsp of salt; 1/2 tsp of black pepper; 1/4 tsp of coriander (optional); and metal skewers of about 30-40cm length.

Preparation and Cooking

• In a large bowl, combine the ground meat, grated onion, chopped parsley, minced garlic, red pepper flakes or paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, and coriander (if using). Mix well with your hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed and the mixture is well combined.
• Follow the same process as in Adana Kebab for loading on the skewers and cook the shishes for about 20 min at 170-200^o
• Remove the cooked Urfa Kebabs from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before serving.
• To serve, slide the kebabs off the skewers onto a serving plate or directly onto flatbread or pita bread. Accompany the Urfa Kebabs with grilled vegetables, a fresh salad, yogurt, or a side of rice or bulgur pilaf.

Hints and Comments

• Note that “Hints and Comments made previously for Adana Kebab is also valid here.
• Spice level distinguishes Urfa and Adana Kebabs: Adana is spicier with Turkish red pepper flakes, while Urfa is milder using mild red pepper flakes or paprika. Their regional origins differ, with Adana from Adana city and Urfa from Şanlıurfa province. Adana’s dominant flavour is spiciness, while Urfa is balanced and subtly sweet, customizable with optional spices. Both kebabs are served with sides like grilled veggies, salad, yogurt, and rice or bulgur pilaf, but Adana may feature sumac for a tangy touch.
• Another version of Adana and Urfa Kebabs is Beyti Kebab that has similar ingredients, but different serving styles with sauce.
• Beyti Kebab features minced meat similar to Adana or Urfa Kebab, but it uses thin phyllo pastry for wrapping the meat to form rolls and then cooking them to crisp up the pastry for about 25 min. After cooking, cut each roll into 8-12 slices and places them on the serving plate with a circle form, and put the tomato/butter sauce on top and yogurt at the center of the serving plate and make the dish ready to serve.