Grate the onion (See Note 1) and place onion in a sieve set over a bowl to drain. Press and squeeze out all the excess water. Discard onion juice or save for soup or other use.
In a bowl add the ground beef, lamb, shredded onions, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika, and mix well. Divide meat mixture evenly into eighths and form the meat onto 8 skewers, molding and flattening meat around skewer with wet hands to make each kebab about 8" long (See Note 2). For a traditional look, gently press meat between thumb and index finger once meat is on skewer (see photos). If not using skewers, shape meat into eight 8" hot dog/sausage shapes. Set kabobs aside.
Clean your grill and heat to 350°F. Oil your grill so these don't stick. Place the skewers on grill and cook until browned on each side and cooked through, 3–4 minutes per side.
Allow meat to rest for 3-5 minutes and sprinkle with a little ground sumac, squeeze of lemon and or toum garlic spread. Serve immediately.
If you use skewers they need to be all metal, otherwise make the kabobs into long rolls and place them on a broiler rack lined pan to catch the juices. Move the oven rack to the second highest setting from the top. Broil the kabobs until browned, about 6-7 minutes on each side.
