Seekh Kebab

Once you take a break it’s really difficult to get back into that mood of blogging…I wonder whether it’s ever going to come back now…I really wish it does though as I miss blogging !

Its break time for me here and I am off work for a week, which also means I get to take pictures of what I cook in day light. Spring is near our door steps now, days are getting longer and temperatures are slightly getting warmer.  I was looking forward to this break  and have kick started the fun today catching up with friends with a  long gals day out  which ended with an elaborate  lunch and  a movie! 

Whenever we go out eat out in Pakistani restaurants, kebabs is something we try a lot. Last year I tried making shami kebab with the help of a friend which  tasted absolutely delicious so here I am again with another favourite kebab of ours which is so easy to make.

Ingredients

Lamb mince – 500 gm

Onion – 1 medium

Egg – 1 small (beaten)

Cumin seeds – 1 ½ tbs

Corainder seeds – 2 tbs

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Green chillies – 2

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp

Coriander leaves – fistful

Salt

Method

• Dry roast cumin and coriander seeds separately and powder it in a mixie/ coffee grinder
• Crush onions in a mixie (not paste) and keep it aside.
• Make a paste of green chillies and coriander and keep it aside.
• In a bowl add the crushed onion, ginger garlic paste and green chilli- coriander paste.
• Add salt, powdered cumin and coriander, red chilli powder and mix.
• Add minced lamb, egg and mix.
•  Refrigerate it for 1 hour.
• Take wooden skewers and with a wet hand stick the minced mix on the skewers
• Bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degree C for 25 minutes flipping the sides in between.

Shami Kebab

When I eat something really good at a friend’s place, I immediately asks for the recipe and most of the time inspiration gets buried deep inside without any attempt, but sometimes especially when the recipe is too good to pass, I try it out. There are many such recipes in my blogs which were inspired from friends and family and this Kebab is a result of one such inspiration. When I went to my friend Z’s place, she served some delicious Shami kebab which was her grandma’s special. Shami kebab is a Pakistani kebab and I remember her telling me that she grew up eating this a lot. She was so generous to share her recipe with me. I also did some online search and they were all pretty much the same, expect few changes. I  was really happy the way it turned out and  and this was one of my starter for my New year party with blogger friends Nisha, Suchi and Manjiri and they all loved it too :)

Ingredients ( makes 24 kebabs)

For Kheema paste

Lamb (minced) – 500gm

Chana Dal – 125 gm/ 8 tbs

Potatoes – 2 small ( diced)

Ginger- garlic paste – 2 tsp

Cinnamon stick - 3” stick

Cloves – 3

Cardamom – 2 nos

Fennel – 1 tsp (optional )

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Peppercorn – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – 1 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Water – 1 cup

Salt

Other Ingredients

Onion – 2 medium

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Coriander leaves –  few sprigs (finely chopped )

Mint leaves – few sprigs ( finely  chopped )

Lime juice – 2 tbs

Egg – 1 large

Oil – for shallow frying

Method

1. Soak Chana dal in boiling water for 1 hour.
2. In a big saucepan add all the ingredients listed under ‘kheema paste’ and cook for 35-40 minutes until water dries and all the ingredients are cooked through.
3. Let it cool down and then grind them into a fine paste.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients listed under ‘ other ingredients’ expect the egg to the kheema paste and knead until its mixed well.
5. Divide the paste into 24 equal sized balls and flatten it out, dip them in beaten egg and shallow fry flipping the sides for 3-4 minutes or until firm and brown.