Kakori Kebab
silky skewered mutton mince, perfumed with mace and khoya, that barely holds its shape
Allergens in Kakori Kebab: milk, tree nuts.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 500g leg mince, put through the mincer twice Muttonask for the fine plate
- 1.5 tbsp paste, skin and all Raw Papayathe tenderiser. Do not increase it
- 2 medium, thinly sliced and fried to brown birista Onion
- 5 tbsp, plus more for basting Ghee
- 2 tbsp, grated Khoyagives the fat that keeps the mince soft
- 10, ground fine Cashew
- 8, ground fine Almonds
- 1 tbsp, ground Poppy Seeds
- 1 tbsp paste Ginger
- 1 tbsp paste Garlic
- 1/2 tsp, powdered Macethe signature note of a kakori
- 1/4 tsp, grated Nutmeg
- 5 green, powdered Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp White Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- a generous pinch, soaked in 1 tbsp warm milk Saffronoptional
- 1/2 tsp Kewra Wateroptional
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, kadhai, blender, oven
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Marinate the mince 2 hours refrigerated, no longer. Papaya keeps working and past that the meat goes pasty.
- Soak wooden skewers 30 minutes, or use flat metal ones. Round skewers let the mince spin off.
- Chill the mince hard before shaping. Cold mince grips the skewer; warm mince slides.
Method
- Fry the sliced onion in 3 tbsp ghee over medium heat until evenly deep brown, 10–12 minutes. Drain, cool until crisp, then crush to a powder.Pull it out at brown, not black. Burnt birista turns the whole kebab bitter.
- Blend the mince with the papaya paste, ginger and garlic to a smooth, almost creamy paste.
- Work in the birista powder, ground cashew, almond, poppy seed, khoya, mace, nutmeg, cardamom, white pepper, garam masala, saffron milk, kewra and salt.
- Cover and refrigerate 2 hours, then chill in the freezer 15 minutes just before shaping.
- Wet your palm and press the mince along a flat skewer in a sausage about 15cm long and 2cm thick, tapering the ends.Wet hands, light pressure. Squeezing warms the fat and the kebab cracks.
- Grill over medium charcoal or in an oven at 220C, turning every 3 minutes and basting with ghee, for 12–15 minutes total.
- Finish 1 minute directly over high heat to colour the outside.Watch it. With this much fat it goes from browned to charred in seconds.
- Slide off the skewer, rest 2 minutes, and serve with sheermal and onion rings.
Safe temperatures: Minced meat is done at 71°C / 160°F all the way through. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Best eaten straight off the skewer. The raw marinated mince keeps 24 hours refrigerated; cooked kebabs dry out badly on reheating, so cook only what you will eat.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Kakori Kebab (222 g) is about 376 calories, or 170 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 30 g a serving, 32% of the calories
| Per serving222 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 376 kcal | 170 kcal |
| Protein | 29.7 g | 13 g |
| Carbohydrate | 12.4 g | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 5.9 g | 3 g |
| Fibre | 2.3 g | 1 g |
| Fat | 23.2 g | 10 g |
| of which saturated | 12.3 g | 6 g |
| of which unsaturated | 9.2 g | 4 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for garam masala, mutton. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Gluten-free Indian recipes · Awadhi/Lucknowi recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.