Lamb shish kebabs with harissa and pitta bread

Ingredients

• 250 gstrong white bread flour
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 7 gfast-action dried yeast
• 185 mlwater
• 1 tbsp, plus extra for oiling the surfaceolive oil
• 200 gfresh red chillies
• 3 heaped tspground caraway seeds
• 1 heaped tspground cumin
• 4 clovesgarlic
• 100 gpiquillo peppers, or roasted and peeled red bell pepper
• 2 tsptomato purée
• 2 tspred wine vinegar
• 4 tbspolive oil
• 2 tspsmoked paprika
• to tastesea salt
• 1/2 tspsugar
• 450 glamb, cubed
• 2onions, cut into chunks
• 1yellow pepper, cut into cubes
• 1green pepper, cut into cubes
• to tastered cabbage, shredded
• to tastelettuce
• to tastelemon juice
• to tasteolive oil
• to tastesalt
• to tastejalapeños, or any extra vegetables of your choice
• 6 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
• 2lemons, juiced
• 1 tbspdried parsley
• 3 tspground cumin
• 3 tbspolive oil
• to tastesalt
• to tasteblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the dough

   Sift the flour into a large bowl. Put the sugar and yeast at one side and the salt at the other. Add the oil and two-thirds of the water, then mix. Add more water a little at a time until you have a smooth, soft dough.

2. 2

   Knead and rise

   Lightly oil your work surface and knead the dough for 5–10 minutes, until soft and elastic. Place it in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm for an hour, or until doubled in size.

3. 3

   Heat the oven

   Preheat the oven to its highest temperature and put two baking sheets inside to heat.

4. 4

   Shape the pittas

   When the dough has doubled, knock it back and knead for about a minute. Roll it into a sausage shape and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Shape one piece into a ball, then roll it into an oval about 0.5 cm thick.

5. 5

   Bake the pittas

   Repeat with the remaining dough. Dust the hot baking sheets with flour and transfer the pittas to them. Bake for about 7–8 minutes, until puffed and lightly coloured. Wrap the hot pittas in a clean tea towel until serving; they are best eaten the day they are baked, or can be frozen.

6. 6

   Blend the harissa

   Deseed the chillies and peppers, then put them in a food processor with the other harissa ingredients. Pulse until combined, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

7. 7

   Marinate the lamb

   Put all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the lamb. Toss to coat, cover with cling film and leave to marinate for a couple of hours.

8. 8

   Cook the kebabs

   Thread the lamb, onion and peppers onto metal skewers. Cook on a barbecue or in a hot griddle pan, turning the kebabs regularly and basting them with the leftover marinade.

9. 9

   Fill the pittas

   When the lamb is cooked through and lightly charred, remove the kebabs from the heat. Slide the meat and vegetables off the skewers, split the pittas and fill them with salad, lamb, onion and peppers. Add a generous spoonful of harissa.

What are lamb shish kebabs?

Shish kebab is a broad family of skewered meat dishes associated with Turkish and wider Middle Eastern cooking traditions; shish refers to the skewer. This version brings together marinated lamb, peppers and onion, served in freshly baked pitta.

Homemade harissa adds chilli heat and fragrant spice, while crisp salad gives the rich lamb a fresh contrast. Making the bread from scratch gives you warm, soft pockets for the filling.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 840 calories, 39g protein, 91g carbs, 40g fat.

The pitta flour supplies most of the carbohydrates, while olive oil and lamb contribute much of the fat; lamb is also the main source of protein. Add a generous amount of lettuce and cabbage to balance the plate with fresh vegetables, and serve any extra pitta or harissa according to appetite.

Build flavour in stages

Harissa: deseed the chillies and peppers as directed, then pulse them with the spices, garlic, vinegar and oil. Taste before serving so you can judge the heat and seasoning.

Marinade: give the lamb a couple of hours with the garlic, chilli, lemon, parsley, cumin and oil. This lets the flavours coat the meat before it hits the high heat.

Get the pitta dough right

Water: add it gradually rather than pouring it all in at once. The dough should feel soft and smooth, not stiff or so sticky that it cannot be kneaded.

Rising: wait until the dough has doubled before shaping. A warm place helps it rise, but allow the dough time rather than relying on a fixed location.

Help the pittas puff

Hot trays: heating the baking sheets in the oven prepares the dough for a quick burst of heat. Transfer the rolled pittas carefully and bake them until puffed and just lightly coloured.

Even thickness: roll each oval to about 0.5 cm thick. Uneven or overly thick dough may bake less consistently, so aim for a similar thickness across all six.

Char the kebabs carefully

Threading: alternate the lamb with chunks of onion and pepper, leaving a little room between pieces so the heat can reach them. Keep the pieces reasonably even in size for more consistent cooking.

Turning: rotate the skewers regularly and baste with the leftover marinade as the recipe directs. Look for lightly charred edges and lamb cooked through before taking the kebabs off the heat.

Finish with fresh fillings

Salad: shredded red cabbage and lettuce add crunch inside the warm pitta. Dress them with lemon juice, olive oil and salt to taste.

Serving: fill the pittas just before eating so they stay easy to hold. Put extra harissa and jalapeños on the table for anyone who wants more heat.

Recipe notes & tips

• Start with two-thirds of the pitta water, then add the rest gradually until the dough is soft.
• Keep the dough covered while it rises so its surface does not dry out.
• Have the salad and harissa ready before cooking the kebabs so the meat can be served hot.
• Use metal skewers as specified, and turn them regularly over the barbecue or griddle.
• Wrap baked pittas in a clean tea towel to keep them warm until serving.
• Adjust the amount of harissa on each pitta at the table to suit different heat preferences.

Variations

• Extra vegetables: add more pepper or other vegetables of your choice to the skewers.
• More heat: serve sliced jalapeños alongside the filled pittas.
• Milder harissa: remove the chilli seeds and use a smaller spoonful in each pitta.
• Alternative pepper: use roasted and peeled red bell pepper if piquillo peppers are unavailable.
• No barbecue: cook the skewers in a hot griddle pan as described in the method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Adding all the water at once: hold some back and add it gradually so the dough does not become too wet.
• Under-kneading the dough: knead for 5–10 minutes until it feels soft and elastic.
• Rolling uneven pittas: aim for a consistent thickness of about 0.5 cm so they bake evenly.
• Using cool baking sheets: let the sheets heat in the oven before transferring the rolled dough.
• Skipping the turns: rotate the kebabs regularly so the lamb and vegetables cook and char more evenly.
• Overfilling the pitta: add the salad and kebab filling in manageable amounts so the bread is easier to hold.

How to store

Pittas are best eaten on the day they are baked; once cool, they can be frozen. Refrigerate cooked lamb and vegetables promptly in a covered container and use within 3 days, reheating until piping hot; keep salad and harissa separate.

Frequently asked questions