Lamb koftas in tikka marinade with tomato raita

During the past few summers minced lamb has been one of our favorite things to put on the barbecue. When I saw this recipe in Reuben Riffels amazing book, I just had to try it. While it uses pieces of leg of lamb rather than the minced variety (recipe to follow), the combination of flavors is amazing and now that the weather has finally turned and the BBQ season is officially open....

Ingredients (serves 4):

600gr leg of lamb (de-boned)

For the tikka marinade:
1/2 cup of plain yoghur
1/2 cup of tomato passata
1/4 cup of olive oil
3 crushed cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons of cayenne
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 teaspoon of salt

For the tomato raita:
1 cup of plain yoghurt (again, use the thick variety)
1 handful of cherry tomatoes, diced
1/2 bunch of chopped fresh coriander 
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

In addition you should get some naan (you can make this yourself, but it's easier to buy it) and some mango chutney. In case you can't find naan and can't be bothered to make it yourself, just use some toasted pitta bread.

Preparation:

1. Mix all the ingredients for the tikka marinade in a bowl and mix well. Cut the lamb into longish strips and mix with the marinade. Cover and leave in the fridge for 4 hours.

2. Take the meat out of the marinade, pad dry and thread 2 pieces of meat on one skewer each (I recommend allowing some time for the meat to reach approximately room temperature before proceeding). Place on the barbecue (medium heat) and cook for about 6 minutes on each side, occasionally brushing with the remaining marinade. Set aside.

3. For the raita, mix all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from: Reuben Riffel, "Reuben cooks: food is time travel"