Shami Kebab
dense little mutton and chana dal patties, smooth inside and crisp at the edge
Allergens in Shami Kebab: milk, egg.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 500g boneless shoulder, cut in 3cm cubes Mutton
- 100g, rinsed Chana Dalthe binder. Nothing else does the same job
- 1 medium quartered for the boil, 1 small very finely chopped for the mix Onion
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 2 inch piece, sliced Ginger
- 4 whole Dried Red Chilli
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 4 green Cardamom
- 1 inch stick Cinnamon
- 4 Cloves
- 1 tsp whole Black Pepper
- 250ml Water
- 1, beaten Egghelps the patties hold when fryingoptional
- 2, finely chopped Green Chillioptional
- 2 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leavesoptional
- 1 tbsp, chopped Mintoptional
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
- 1, in wedges Lemonto squeeze at the tableoptional
- 4 tbsp, for shallow frying Gheeneutral oil works but tastes flatter
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, pressure cooker, blender, tawa
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
- Soak the chana dal 1 hour in warm water. Undersoaked dal stays gritty and the kebab will crumble.
- The cooked mince must be bone dry before grinding. Any moisture and the patties fall apart in the pan.
- Chill the shaped kebabs 30 minutes before frying. They firm up and turn far more easily.
Method
- Pressure cook the mutton, drained dal, quartered onion, garlic, ginger, whole chillies, black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, salt and 250ml water for 5 whistles, about 20 minutes.In a pan instead, allow 50 minutes covered on low.
- Open the lid and boil hard, stirring, until every trace of liquid has gone and the mix looks dry and sandy, 8–10 minutes.This is the step people skip. Wet mince equals kebabs that disintegrate.
- Cool completely, then pick out the cinnamon stick and black cardamom shell and grind the rest to a smooth, tight paste with no added water.
- Knead in the finely chopped onion, green chilli, coriander, mint, garam masala and the beaten egg. Taste for salt now.
- Divide into 12 and shape into flat discs 5cm across and 1.5cm thick. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee on a tawa over medium heat and lay in the kebabs without crowding.
- Fry 3–4 minutes a side until a deep brown crust forms, adding the remaining ghee as you turn.Turn once only, with a thin spatula. Fiddling breaks them.
- Drain on paper, rest 2 minutes and serve hot with lemon wedges and sliced onion.
Safe temperatures: Whole cuts of mutton, beef and pork are done at 63°C / 145°F, rested 3 minutes. A long braise passes that well before the meat is tender. Egg dishes are done at 71°C / 160°F; a whole egg when the yolk and white are both firm. Reheat leftovers to 74°C / 165°F. FoodSafety.gov
Storage
Cooked kebabs keep 3 days refrigerated and reheat well on a dry tawa over low heat. The raw ground mix freezes for a month; thaw fully before shaping.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Shami Kebab (284 g) is about 386 calories, or 137 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 33 g a serving, 35% of the calories
| Per serving284 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 386 kcal | 137 kcal |
| Protein | 33.4 g | 12 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.1 g | 8 g |
| of which sugars | 4.2 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 18.4 g | 6 g |
| of which saturated | 9.3 g | 3 g |
| of which unsaturated | 7.4 g | 3 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.