Grate the cucumber on the coarse side of a box grater. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze firmly until almost no liquid comes out.

Combine the squeezed cucumber, Greek yogurt, minced garlic, lemon juice, dill, olive oil, and salt in a bowl. Stir until smooth.

Taste and adjust salt if needed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Grate the onion on the fine side of a box grater. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Place the ground lamb in a large mixing bowl. Add the squeezed onion, minced garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper.

Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined. Do not overmix or the kofta will be dense.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions (about 50 g each). Press each portion firmly around a skewer, forming a log shape about 12 cm long and 2 cm thick.

Place the skewers on a tray and refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm up.

Heat an outdoor grill or cast iron grill pan to high heat, about 230 C / 450 F. Brush the grates with olive oil.

Place kofta skewers on the grill. Cook for 3 minutes without moving until char marks form and the kofta release cleanly.

Turn and cook for another 3 minutes on the second side. Continue turning every 2 minutes for a total of about 10 to 12 minutes, until browned all over and the internal temperature reads 70 C / 160 F.

Remove from the grill and rest for 3 minutes on the tray before serving.

Arrange 3 kofta skewers per plate. Spoon tzatziki alongside or into a small bowl for dipping. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and extra chopped parsley or dill if you like.