Shish kebabs with sumac and yogurt

Sumac is a spice, ground from a dried purple berry with a sour, fruity flavor. In this recipe it blissfully complements the richness of the lamb and yogurt. These kebabs are excellent served with little bowls of individual herbs dressed at the last minute with oil and lemon juice. The idea originated in Iran, where serving herbs at the end of the meal was believed to stop husbands' attention from straying.

Place the lamb pieces in a bowl and sprinkle over the crushed seeds and the cayenne pepper. Grate the ginger and squeeze it over the lamb. When all the juices have been extracted, discard the pulp. Pour over the yogurt. Mix well, cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Prepare the barbecue. Stand a large sieve over a bowl and pour in the lamb mixture. Leave to drain well. Cut the peppers in half, remove the cores and seeds, and then cut the flesh into rough chunks. Place in a bowl. Add the onions and the olive oil. Pat the drained lamb with kitchen paper to remove excess marinade. Add the lamb to the bowl, season and toss well. Divide the lamb, peppers and onions into eight equal portions and thread on to the skewers. Do not pack them too tightly or they will not brown properly.

Once the flames have died down, position a lightly oiled grill rack over the coals to heat. When the coals are medium-hot, or with a moderate coating of ash, grill the kebabs for about 10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes to prevent the meat and vegetables from getting too charred. When cooked, transfer the kebabs to a platter, lightly sprinkle with the sumac, cover loosely with foil, and leave to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the accompaniments.

Wrap the breads in foil and put them on the barbecue to warm. Place the yogurt in a small serving bowl and sprinkle the surface with sumac. Arrange the rocket and parsley in separate bowls and pour over the oil and lemon juice. Serve with the kebabs and the warmed flat bread.

Makes 8
675g/ 1 ½ lb lamb neck (US shoulder or fillet) fillet, trimmed and cut into 2.5cm/1 in pieces
5ml/1 tsp each fennel, cumin and coriander seeds, roasted and crushed
1.5ml/ ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
5cm/2in piece of fresh root ginger
150ml/ ¼ pint/% cup Greek (US strained plain) yogurt
2 small red (bell) peppers
2 small yellow (bell) peppers
300g/11oz small or baby (pearl) onions
30ml/2 tbsp olive oil
15ml/1 tbsp ground sumac
Salt and ground black pepper
8 long metal skewers
To serve
8 Lebanese flat breads
150ml/ ¼ pint/ 2/3 cup Greek (US strained plain) yogurt
5ml/1 tsp ground sumac
1 bunch rocket (arugula), about 50g/2oz
50g/2oz/2 cups fresh flat leaf parsley
10mi/2 tsp olive oil
Juice of ½ lemon