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GRAB THE GLASSES…THE KEBABS ARE HERE!
Cuisine is the tactile connection we have to breathing history.History and culture offer us a vibrant living society that we taste through cuisine.All cuisine is a reflection of the society from which it emanates … in the end cuisine is the result of culture”
Clifford Wright
When it’s time for celebration, clink glasses or serve these kebabs in them! Another gem of a recipe, adapted from this Shammi kebab recipe from Mallika @ Quick Indian Cooking. These have become a regular on the menu, & you can always find a box in my freezer. Kebabs like this are very handy indeed, & serve well for a delicious snack, or even a dinner in a roll. These are the handiest & quickest dinner wraps in flatbreads/chapatis that I make often, & are greedily devoured with a slathering of dip, & a topping of finely sliced onions, tossed in lime & salt!A Shammi Kebab is a small patty of minced beef, mutton or chicken and ground chickpeas and spices. These are India’s most popular kebabs of Mughal origin. Shami kebabs are an extremely popular snack in India and Pakistan. They are often garnished with lemon juice and/or sliced raw onions, and are usually eaten with chutney made from mint or coriander. They are a nice addition to the main menu at a dinner party. Just one thing to remember…they must be served hot. Run them in the microwave to reheat them if need be, as they taste best when hot, & ‘bestest’, fresh from the pan!!!The recipe is a neat lean lamb mince kebab recipe, that can be prepared much in advance. I usually make a double batch & sneak half into the freezer, & gleefully enjoy the feeling that I have some ready to eat yummies on hand always. At this time too…yes!! I have adapted it in my own small way, & it’s a big hit.Habitually, I now make my garam masala, fresh, each time. I think it’s because I’m totally in love with my stone pestle & mortar I picked up when I visited Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, South India. You can substitute it for ready-made garam masala. Or else, go as per the original recipe, where whole spices are cooked with the mince, & everything is ground together later. Of course I’m envious of all your Cuisine-arts, Kitchen-aids etc, but that’s another story. For the time being, have found my own convenient way around!Shammi Kebabs adapted from Quick Indian Cooking Lean goat mince – 1/2 kilo (from shank) Onions – 2; finely chopped Ginger – 2′ piece; finely chopped Chana dal (skinned, split bengal gram) – 1/2 cup; soaked for an hour Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Bay leaves – 2-3 Garam masala – 1 tsp (I grind fresh garam masala) Green chillies – 2-3; chopped Fresh coriander leaves – 1 bunch; chopped fine Ghee – 1 tsp (optional) Method:
Heat some oil in a pan. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the bay leaves & garam masala.
Add mince & roast well till browned. Add the dry masalas, soaked chana dal, ghee & about 1/4 cup of water. Add salt to taste. Cook till mince cooked & dry. I pressure cook it, on low, for about 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the dal squishes easily between your fingers.
I smoke the mince at this point with a piece of hot coal to get the smoked flavour.
Cool & grind with green chillies in food processor. Adjust seasoning. Add chopped coriander leaves if you like, & make small patties (about 2″ ones) & store in boxes between layers of cling wrap. This just makes it easier to use even small batches if you have frozen the entire lot.
To serve, fry 1-2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan, and lay the patties out in a single layer. Fry on low heat, without overcrowding the pan. Do not disturb too often. Each side will take about 10 minutes to get a nice crust. Serve with onion rings, lime wedges & a green chutney!
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
View all posts by Deeba @ PAB
20 thoughts on “GRAB THE GLASSES…THE KEBABS ARE HERE!”
Happy New Years Deeba! I love lamb and am happy that my husband requests it. This recipe sounds delicious with all those wonderful spices!!
Wow they looks so delicious. I would love to have few of those glasses filled with those delicious kababs. I love the tip to put them in the MW before serving them.
kebabs in a cocktail glass, how creative 🙂 lovely pics of the pestle and mortar. I had one in Hyd but couldn’t carry it to Singapore cuz of the weight. Really miss it now 🙁
Shammi kabab is tempting, Deeba! I can relate to ur special feeling, when u prepare a dish as per ur ideas and it clicks, nothing gives us more kicks than the dish going sparse!
I remember the first time I ordered a shammi kebab here in London and thinking “umm… where’s the skewer??” – LOL! Love your isea of serving these in a glass 🙂
Happy New Years Deeba!
I love lamb and am happy that my husband requests it. This recipe sounds delicious with all those wonderful spices!!
Happy new year to you Deeba! 🙂
Nice way to serve Kababs, very innovative. Must try with lamb meat, looks delicious.
I love the idea of putting them in glasses! Cute!
Wow they looks so delicious.
I would love to have few of those glasses filled with those delicious kababs.
I love the tip to put them in the MW before serving them.
Deeba I love your pictures and your recipes dear!! all look delicious!!! xxxGloria
I guess tofu or tempeh would be a nice veggie substitution for people like me. SOunds and looks fab.
kebabs in a cocktail glass, how creative 🙂 lovely pics of the pestle and mortar. I had one in Hyd but couldn’t carry it to Singapore cuz of the weight. Really miss it now 🙁
I have never had the pleasure. The presentation is wonderful and how I would love to take a nibble!
Shammi kabab is tempting, Deeba! I can relate to ur special feeling, when u prepare a dish as per ur ideas and it clicks, nothing gives us more kicks than the dish going sparse!
Sounds delish Deeba! I love goat, unfortunately it’s a bit challenging to find it here in the States.
Cheers,
Elra
Love the presentation Deeba. I do make my own garam masala too..something I picked-up from my mum.
🙂
Oh, great idea! I didn’t think to keep a stash of kebab mix in the freezer… Looks delish!
Oh wow my favourite. Looks yummy. I add a tbsp of dry coconut powder also. Looks yummy.
That’s very creative deeba,shami kabab served in the pretty glasses.
Congrats on your DMBLGIT win:)
These truly do sound amazing Deeba. I am sure if I searched it out I could find some chana dal. The more I look for spices the more I find.
I’d celebrate if I had some of these right now. 🙂
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm…u always make me hungry:)
You make kababs look awesome…..
check out some pics of out eating trip to lucknow… we had Tunde Kabab…. The just melt in the mouth……
I remember the first time I ordered a shammi kebab here in London and thinking “umm… where’s the skewer??” – LOL! Love your isea of serving these in a glass 🙂
An interesting text!Looking forward for same!!!Keep going!