Kafta Pinwheel Skewers

Name: Kafta Pinwheel Skewers
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 8-10 skewers
Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Add to recipe book

roubashahin.com.au

Mains Burgers & Sandwiches

My mum's kafta, rolled into pinwheels, glazed and skewered — flavour first, but I couldn't resist the presentation too.

PREP TIME

25 minutes

COOK TIME

10 minutes

SERVES

8-10 skewers

About this recipe

My mum never plated anything. Kafta went straight from the pot into a bowl, she’d hand you a skewer, and that was it. No garnish, no fuss — just flavour, and it was always incredible. I grew up on her kafta spread simply in flatbread, more toastie than anything fancy.

For me, though, it has always been about the flavour and how it looks on the plate. I can’t help it. Kafta is one of my favourite things to make because it is so versatile — there are so many ways to take it. This time I spread the mixture onto flatbread, rolled it up, sliced it into pinwheels and secured five onto each skewer. Then I brushed them with a pomegranate molasses paste, and here — just this once — I chose flavour over looks. It darkens the pinwheels in the toaster, but the flavour makes up for it.

This isn’t something I grew up eating — it’s really just the fancy way of doing my mum’s kafta toastie. If you love kafta in different forms, my Kafta Puff Pastry Flowers are another playful take on the same idea, and if you want the traditional version, my Kafta Bil Saniyeh (Baked Kafta and Potatoes) is where it all started for me. This kafta pinwheel version sits somewhere in between — familiar flavour, new shape.

Ingredients

Kafta Filling

350 grams lamb mince
150 grams beef mince
⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packed
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, firmly packed
¼ cup chopped parsley with stems, firmly packed
1 small onion, roughly chopped (approximately 80 grams)
1 strip capsicum (approximately 25 grams) , or 1 tablespoon capsicum paste
1 whole fresh chilli (optional)
¼ teaspoon Bharat
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
Salt, to season
4-5 Arabic soft flatbread

Pomegranate Molasses Paste

½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon sumac
Salt, to season

Tahini Yogurt

2 cups plain yogurt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2–3 tablespoons tahini
Salt, to taste

Sumac Salad

1 small red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon sumac
10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
A handful of parsley, chopped

Notes from Rouba

The pomegranate molasses paste darkens the pinwheels quite a bit in the toaster — that’s completely normal, it’s the flavour trade-off.
If you want to prep ahead, roll and slice the pinwheels, then keep them covered in the fridge until you’re ready to skewer and toast.
Bharat is a Middle Eastern spice blend — you’ll often see it sold as “seven spice” or “five spice,” so use whichever version you can find
I make my own Bharat at home — you can find my recipe here

For this recipe I used a sandwich press to toast the skewers — it’s quick and gives a lovely golden, slightly charred edge on the pinwheels.

Method

Step 1. Make the Kafta Filling

Blitz the basil, mint, parsley, onion, capsicum and chilli (if using) in a small food processor until finely chopped. Add the mixture to the lamb mince, beef mince, Bharat, cumin, paprika and salt, and mix until everything is well combined. This amount of filling is enough to spread across about four to five flatbread wraps — exactly how many you get will depend on how generously you spread it and the size of your flatbread, so don't worry if your count doesn't match exactly.

Step 2. Spread, Roll and Slice

Lay the flatbread flat on a board and spread the kafta filling evenly across the whole surface, right to the edges.

Roll it up tightly into a long log, then slice into pinwheels roughly two centimetres thick.

Step 3. Skewer and Glaze

Thread five pinwheels onto each skewer, laying them flat so the swirl faces outward. Whisk together the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, sumac and a pinch of salt, then brush generously over both sides of the skewered pinwheels.

Preheat your sandwich press or toaster. Cook the skewers for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until the meat is cooked through and the edges are golden and slightly charred.

Step 4. Serve

While the skewers cook, whisk the garlic and tahini through the yogurt with a pinch of salt and spread it over a serving plate. Rub the sliced red onion with the sumac, then toss through the cherry tomatoes and parsley. Lay the toasted pinwheel skewers over the tahini yogurt, scatter the sumac salad alongside, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and extra sumac.

Do I have to use the pomegranate molasses paste?
No, you can skip it. It's really there for flavour, but it does darken the pinwheels quite a bit in the toaster. If you'd rather keep them looking golden, just spray them lightly with oil instead.

Is the tahini yogurt essential?
Not at all. You could dip these in plain yogurt, or serve them with a simple tomato sauce instead.

Can these be baked instead of toasted?
Yes, absolutely. The toaster is just faster and i found the kafta juicier, but they'll bake well in the oven too.

Do I need to use a skewer?
Not really if using the toaster — I've made these without one and they still work, they just sit a bit flatter and don't hold their shape as well.

Do I have to use a food processor to blitz the herbs?
No, you can finely chop them by hand with a knife instead.