Name: Banjalučki Ćevapi
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Bosnia
Ingredients: 600 g ground beef; 200 g ground lamb or pork, optional; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 4 rounds lepinja bread; 1 onion, finely chopped; kajmak, to serve, optional

Banjalučki ćevapi share the same base recipe as Sarajevo's version, but they're shaped and pressed together into one connected block before grilling, a specific regional difference locals take seriously.

They're served in lepinja rather than somun, another small but genuine distinction between the two cities' versions.

Part of our 20 best Bosnian recipes list.

method

Mix the ground meats with the baking soda, salt and pepper, and knead vigorously by hand for several minutes until smooth, sticky and well bound.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

With wet hands, shape small portions of the mixture into short, finger-sized sausages, then press several together side by side so they fuse into a connected block of 8 to 10 pieces.

Grill the blocks over high heat for 7 to 9 minutes, turning once, until charred on the outside and cooked through; the joined shape means they cook slightly differently from individually grilled ćevapi.

Warm the lepinja bread on the grill, and split it open.

Place a grilled block inside each piece of lepinja, scatter with chopped onion, and serve with kajmak if you like.

chef's tips

Pressing the individual sausages together before grilling, so they fuse into one connected block, is the specific detail that separates Banja Luka's style from Sarajevo's individually shaped ćevapi.
Lepinja is a slightly different bread from somun, flatter and denser; it's worth seeking out specifically rather than substituting pita.