Cooking with Colm O'Gorman: Spicy lamb koftas with hummus and tzatziki

This recipe is perfect for the barbecue, but can also be made in a pan on the hob if you prefer

The sun is splitting the stones and it is definitely the kind of weather where dinner is best eaten outdoors. I have another recipe for you this week that is perfect for the barbecue, but which can also be made in a pan on the hob if you prefer. The forecast is saying it might rain at the weekend, which would be both a shame and a relief. A shower lasting no more than an hour at about 4pm on Saturday would be perfect please; just in time to cool things down a little before lighting up the barbecue for an early dinner. If the weather does turn nasty, you can still make these indoors of course.

These Spiced Lamb Koftas are simple to make and perfect for a lazy weekend dinner. You can make them in advance and pop them in the fridge before taking them out in time for dinner. They only take minutes to cook, so this really is fast food. The spice is not the hot variety, there is not a lot of chilli in this recipe, instead it features the warm, earthy flavours of cumin, coriander seed, clove, and cinnamon. If you would like more heat, just increase the quantity of chilli flakes. My hummus recipe also only takes a few minutes to make, and again, you can prepare that in advance. I highly recommend the tzatziki with these. The creamy sharpness and freshness of yoghurt, mint, and lemon cuts through the fat of the spiced lamb beautifully. Make the tzatziki fresh just before serving it, but again, it takes just minutes to put together.