Sasha's Kitchen: Indian Spiced Mini Lamb Burgers

The grilling season really doesn't start until Memorial Day.  And even then, we don't have an outdoor grill at the moment anyhow.  But this weekend was such a beautiful, sunny weekend that one can't help but get in the spirit a little bit early.  This recipe would be great on an outdoor grill, but also just perfect to prepare indoors on a good grill pan.

I decided that miniature food for this recipe would be much cuter than full sized portions, although the reality is that the taste would be the same.  I have made miniature frittatas and miniature key lime cheesecakes for brunch in the past, and these mini lamb burgers would work just as well for brunch as for dinner.  I decided to use my favorite mix of Indian spices for the lamb, as that is my favorite way to flavor ground lamb these days - with a mixture of curry, cumin, coriander and sumac - a new favorite spice of mine.  I've been inspired to use a lot of Indian spices in my cooking, by the chef of Tabla, Floyd Cardoz, who does so frequently in his cooking.   This recipe also incorporates Greek or Mediterranean flavors, in a yogurt based sauce, as well as the use of feta cheese.  All of these cultural influences worked out quite nicely together.

Sasha's Mini Lamb Burgers With Yogurt Sauce, Tomato and Feta (makes 10-12 small burgers)
1 lb ground lamb
1 1/2 tsp ground sumac
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 small container of lowfat Fage Greek Yogurt
1 tomato, cored and diced
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar

To prepare the burgers, mix the cumin, coriander, curry, sumac, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix into the ground lamb, using your hands.  Form into small burgers, about the size of flattened golf balls.  A pound of ground lamb should make 10-12 mini burgers.  Grill the burgers on your grill pan as desired (we like ours medium-well).  Top with feta cheese.  Prepare the sauce by whisking the greek yogurt, lemon juice and vinegar with the tomatoes.  Top with the sauce.  For the buns, I cut hot dog rolls in half and toasted them in the oven.