Name: Kababi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 400 g Lamb mince; 400 g Coarsely minced beef; 200 g Onion; 3 cloves Garlic cloves; 15 g Fresh coriander; 15 g Flat-leaf parsley; 4 g Ground cumin; 10 g Fine sea salt; 3 g Ground black pepper; 20 ml Sunflower oil; 15 ml White wine vinegar; 30 g Pomegranate seeds

About this dish

Kababi sits alongside mtsvadi — skewered whole cuts of meat — as the other pillar of Georgian grilling, the one built from mince rather than chunks. Mixing lamb with beef is standard practice: lamb alone can grill dry over the direct heat a skewer needs, and beef's fat content keeps the mixture cohesive enough to hold its shape without a binder. The pickled onion alongside is not garnish so much as counterweight, cutting through the richness of grilled fat with a few minutes of vinegar.

Gluten-free
Lactose-free
Not vegetarian because of Lamb mince, Coarsely minced beef

Ingredients

4servings

400gLamb mince
400gCoarsely minced beef
200gOnion
3clovesGarlic cloves
15gFresh coriander
15gFlat-leaf parsley
4gGround cumin
10gFine sea salt
3gGround black pepper
20mlSunflower oil
15mlWhite wine vinegar
30gPomegranate seeds

Instructions

Combine the lamb and beef mince with the grated onion, garlic, half the coriander and parsley, cumin, salt and pepper, and work the mixture with your hands until it holds together.
10 min
Tip: Working the mince — not just stirring it — develops enough tackiness that the meat grips itself on the skewer. A loose mix falls apart the moment it meets the grill.
Divide the mixture and mould it firmly onto skewers into long, even sausages, then rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.
15 min
Tip: The rest matters as much as the shaping. Chilled fat holds the meat's shape through the first few minutes of grilling instead of slumping off the skewer before it sets.
Toss the sliced onion with the vinegar and a pinch of salt, and set aside to soften while the grill heats.
5 min
Tip: A few minutes in vinegar is enough to take the raw bite off sliced onion without wilting it into something limp — it should still have some crunch left when it reaches the plate.
Grill the skewers over high heat, brushing lightly with oil, turning every few minutes until charred outside and just cooked through, about 12 minutes total.
12 min
Tip: Turn them only when they release cleanly from the grate — meat that's still stuck underneath tears if you force it, leaving half the crust behind.
Scatter with the remaining parsley and coriander, pile the pickled onion and pomegranate seeds alongside, and serve.
3 min
Tip: The pomegranate seeds are there for a burst of sharp juice against the fat of the meat, not just colour — scatter them at the table, not before, so they stay whole.