Shami Kebab

Ground lamb is mixed with pre-cooked legume and curry spices. It is then formed as a hamburger patty and pan-fried.
I prefer to make these kebabs with bone less lamb/goat instead of ground lamb/goat. Serve these kebabs with Mint-Coriander Chutney.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Goat/lamb bone less cut into small pieces
• ¼ cup split Chick Peas or Desi Chana Dal
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 4-6 green chilies
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves (Pudina)
• 2 small onions sliced and fried crispy brown
• 2” ginger piece
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 brown cardamoms
• 1 egg beaten
• 2 tbsp ghee or cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup cooking oil or ghee to shallow fry

Method:

• Boil Goat/Lamb with washed Bengal Gram, ginger, bay leaf, and cardamoms until the lentils are completely mashed and the meat is cooked. Dry all the water and cool it.
• Now grind the boiled and cooled meat mix with crispy brown onion, green chilies chopped cilantro and chopped mint leaves in food processor. Better result you get when you grind meat mix in ‘Meat Grinding Machine’.
• Add beaten egg, 2 tbsp cooking oil, garam masala and salt to meat mix and knead well. Break off 1 tbsp of the minced dough; wet your palm and place it in the center of your palm shape it into a smooth ball and then press it to give it a Patti shape.
• Heat the cooking oil/ghee on a heavy-bottomed skillet and shallow fry the kebabs until golden on both sides.
• Cool on paper towels. Serve hot with mint cilantro chutney.

Do You Know?

Shami Kebab was created by a Nawab in Palanpur (Rajasthan).

The Kebab has been an evolving term. During the times of Changez Khan, the horse back riders would kill an animal, clean it, cut it into pieces, thread the pieces over the daggers or swords and cook over open fire. That was the first Kebab, a piece of meat threaded on a dagger and cooked over open fire. In United States, Kebab refers to Turkish definition of Shish Kebab. In Turkey, Shish kebab means 'skewer with grilled meat'. With time, the Kebab has evolved from whole muscle meats to minced meats, and even non-meats.