Shammi Kebabs
A Melt-in-Your-Mouth Delicacy: Rich, Spiced, and Irresistible!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb mince lamb, leg meat
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 4 cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 2 cassia bark
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 chana dal or split yellow peas, soaked in cold water for about an hour
- 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled rughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 fresh green chillies, roughly chopped, with seeds
- handful coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp black cumin (shahi zeera) or regular cumin seeds
- 1 lime , juice only
- 1 free-range egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp plain flour, to bind
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
- 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped, without seeds
- 1 handful mint leaves, finely chopped
Instructions
- Drain the split peas and put them aside.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add cardamom, cloves, cassia and bay leaves. Stir in the split peas.
- Roughly chop the onions, garlic and ginger and add to the pan. Fry for 10-20 minutes until they soften.
- Add the lamb and pour over enough water to just cover the meat (about 400ml/14fl oz), add half a teaspoon of the salt, partially cover with a lid and bring to a simmer.
- Cook for about 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the lid and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, or until the meat is just starting to brown and catch on the bottom. It’s important that any excess moisture has evaporated.
- Remove the whole spices and transfer to a plate and leave to cool for about 15 minutes, then tip into a food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
- Add the green chillies, coriander, garam masala, chilli powder, cumin, the remaining salt and the lime juice to the lamb mixture and blend again.
- Gradually add enough of the egg to bind the mixture without making it too wet. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the flour to create a mixture you can shape.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the onions, lime juice, chillies,chopped mint and salt. Drain off any liquid before filling the kebabs.
- Wet your hands and divide the mixture into about 16-20 portions. (If you find the mixture is still a little too wet to shape into patties, then add another tablespoon of flour.) Shape one portion into a patty about 4cm/1½in in diameter and 5mm thick.
- Put three-quarters of a teaspoon of the filling in the middle of the patty, and draw the edges around and over it to encase the filling and form a rough ball. Then flatten it into a 5mm-thick patty
- Place on a tray, repeat with the remaining mixture, then chill in the fridge for an hour before cooking.
- Grill the patties in batches for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and cooked through.
- Serve warm with lime wedges, mint chutney and red onion kachumber.