Start the day before. The draining alone is 4 hr, against 75 min of actual work.
Allergens in Shikampuri Kebab: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 500g, minced Mutton
- 75g, rinsed Chana Dalbinds the mince; nothing else does this job as cleanly
- 200g, hung 4 hours in muslin Yogurtfor the filling
- 1 large, half finely chopped raw for the filling and half sliced Onion
- 1 tbsp paste Ginger
- 1 tbsp paste Garlic
- 4, finely chopped Green Chilli
- 3 tbsp, chopped Mint
- 3 tbsp, chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 3 green Cardamom
- 3 Cloves
- 2cm piece Cinnamon
- 3 Dried Red Chilli
- half, juiced Lemonoptional
- 5 tbsp, for shallow frying Ghee
- to taste Salt
Cookware
stovetop, tawa, blender
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
- Hang the yogurt in muslin for at least 4 hours, or overnight in the fridge. The filling must be dry and crumbly; wet curd will burst the kebab in the pan.
- The cooked mince has to be bone dry before grinding. Any moisture left in the pan becomes a kebab that falls apart.
- Chill the shaped kebabs 30 minutes before frying. Cold kebabs hold their shape.
- Soak the chana dal 30 minutes so it cooks in the same time as the mince.
Method
- Put the mince, drained chana dal, sliced onion, ginger and garlic pastes, dried red chillies, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, salt and 250ml water in a pan.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer covered 30 minutes, until the dal is soft and the mince is cooked through.
- Uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring, until every trace of liquid has gone and the mixture squeaks against the pan, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.Do not shortcut this. Damp mince is the single reason shikampuri kebabs disintegrate in the ghee.
- Grind the cooled mixture to a smooth, stiff paste with no added water. Mix in the black pepper, garam masala and lemon juice, and check the salt.
- Make the filling: mash the hung curd with the finely chopped raw onion, green chillies, mint, coriander and a pinch of salt.
- Divide the mince into 12. Flatten a portion in your palm, place a teaspoon of filling in the centre, and draw the edges over to seal completely.Seal with wet fingertips and check for cracks before flattening. An open seam leaks curd and the kebab collapses.
- Press gently into a disc 6cm across and 1.5cm thick. Repeat with the rest and chill 30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee on a tawa over medium-low heat and fry the kebabs in batches, 3 minutes a side, until deep brown and crusted.Medium-low, and turn only once. High heat browns the outside before the crust is strong enough to survive the flip.
- Drain briefly on paper and serve hot with onion rings and lemon.
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
The shaped raw kebabs keep 24 hours refrigerated and fry better cold; they also freeze 1 month between sheets of paper. Fried kebabs keep 2 days and reheat on a tawa with a little ghee, 2 minutes a side.
Nutrition Low estimate
One serving of Shikampuri Kebab (276 g) is about 417 calories, or 151 calories per 100 g.
High protein: 33 g a serving, 32% of the calories
| Per serving276 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 417 kcal | 151 kcal |
| Protein | 32.9 g | 12 g |
| Carbohydrate | 22.4 g | 8 g |
| of which sugars | 6.4 g | 2 g |
| Fibre | 4.4 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 22.1 g | 8 g |
| of which saturated | 12.0 g | 4 g |
| of which unsaturated | 8.4 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 · Hyderabadi recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.