Lula Kebab (Caucasian Ground Meat Kebab)

About This Recipe

Lula kebab (люля-кебаб) is the Central Asian and Caucasian answer to the ground-meat skewer kebab, closely related to the Persian koobideh and the Turkish köfte kebabı but with its own distinct character. The name comes from the Azerbaijani/Turkish word 'lülə' (pipe or tube), describing the cylindrical shape of the meat on the skewer. It is a cornerstone of the cuisines of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and their diaspora communities — and has become popular in Turkey, particularly in Istanbul where the large Azerbaijani and Caucasian communities have established restaurants serving their regional specialties. Lula kebab differs from its Persian and Turkish cousins in the use of a higher proportion of tail fat (kuyruk yağı) in the mixture and the inclusion of fresh cilantro (coriander) as a primary herb alongside parsley — a distinctly Caucasian flavor note that appears throughout Georgian and Azerbaijani cooking. The fat keeps the kebab moist and prevents it from becoming dry on the outside of the grill before the center cooks. Like koobideh, the onion must be extremely well squeezed and the mixture kneaded at length — these technical requirements are shared across all high-quality ground-meat kebab traditions from Turkey to Central Asia.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gground lamb (25% fat, or add 80g of tail fat/suet)
• 1 largeonion(finely grated, all liquid squeezed out)
• 1/4 cupfresh cilantro (coriander)(finely chopped)
• 2 tbspflat-leaf parsley(finely chopped)
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 1/2 tspcumin
• 1/4 tspcoriander powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the Mixture

   Grate the onion finely and squeeze every drop of liquid out. Combine ground lamb, dry onion, cilantro, parsley, salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander powder in a large bowl. Knead for 6-8 minutes until completely homogeneous and sticky. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

   High-fat lamb (25%+) is essential — lean lamb produces dry, crumbly lula kebab.

2. 2

   Shape on Skewers

   Wet your hands with cold water. Take about 150g of meat and press firmly around the center of a wide flat skewer. Shape into a uniform cylinder about 18-20cm long, pressing evenly to compact it. The meat should feel very firm and attached to the skewer.

3. 3

   Grill Over Charcoal

   Grill over hot charcoal, turning every 2-3 minutes, for a total of 10-12 minutes until charred in spots and cooked through with no pink visible. Do not move the kebab for the first 2 minutes on each side.

4. 4

   Serve

   Serve on flatbread or with pilaf, alongside grilled tomatoes and peppers, fresh herbs, sliced raw onion with sumac, and pickled vegetables (turşu). A squeeze of pomegranate juice or a spoonful of narsharab (pomegranate molasses) is a Caucasian accompaniment.

Variations

• •

  Azerbaijani style: add 1/4 tsp of dried barberry powder (or a few dried barberries) to the mixture for a subtle sour note.

• •

  Chicken lula: use ground chicken thigh meat (with skin ground in for fat) for a lighter alternative.

• •

  Pan-fried: form into thick sausage shapes without skewers and fry in a dry cast-iron pan — a viable indoor method.

Storage

Cooked lula kebab keeps refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat in a hot dry pan. Raw shaped kebabs can be refrigerated overnight on their skewers.

Frequently Asked Questions