Seekh Kabab (Skewered Lamb Mince Kababs)

No Tandoori platter is complete without the Seekh Kabab. Not only is a nicely made Seekh Kabab juicy & delicious but also a nice test of the chef's skill. The balance between the ingredients is of utmost importance which I have learned over the intial years through hit and miss. A lot of people prefer either the use of gramflour as a binding agent or using egg. The catch with using gramflour is that it tends to make the kabab bitter if used excessively. Egg, also if used excessively, can make the mixture too wet to hold onto the seekh (Skewer) and fall into the tandoor or grill. I prefer to use both egg and gramflour in little quantities to arrive at the right mix to bind the mixture and hold onto the seekh. Another key is regular basting to ensure the kabab is juicy and not a dried up item.

The origins to this can be traced to Babur's time, when royal cooks used to wrap ground beef around iron rods and grill them on open flames.



Seekh Kabab



Ingredients:

Lamb/Mutton Mince - 500 gm

Egg, lightly beaten - 1

Gramflour (Besan) - 2 Tblsp

Onion, finely chopped - 1

Green Chillies, finely chopped - 1

Red Chili Powder - 1 Tspsp

Ginger, finely chopped - 1 Tsp

Garam Masala - 3 Tsp

Garlic, Minced - 1 Tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 Tsp

Salt - To Taste

For Garnish

Lemon Wedges

Chaat Masala - 1 Tsp



Method:

1. Combine all ingredients (Except for garnish) in a bowl. Mix and knead well.

2. Rest for 2hours.

3. Divide the mixture equally into balls.

4. Wet hands and Skewer each ball and make a 2 inch long kabab shaped like a cigar.

5. Put the skewers either in the tandoor or the grill and cook for 6-7 minutes.

6. Take the skewers out and baste them with some oil. Put it back into the tandoor or on the grill. Cook for 6-7 more minutes. Repeat till Kababs are cooked.

7. When done, remove the kababs from the skewers gently.

8. Serve hot on a platter sprinkled with some chaat masala and lemon wedges on the side.

Posted in: Appetizer,Kabab,Lamb,Mince,Mutton,North Indian Cuisine,snack,Tandoori,Tikka