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Family shami kebabs

These can be served as a starter with drinks, or as a treat with afternoon tea, accompanied by chutney, pickle or ketchup – and chai, of course. They are also great with rice, daal and a pickle, alongside a main meal.

Family shami kebabs

Credit: Murdoch Books / Alicia Taylor

  • serves

    6-8

  • prep

    20 minutes

  • cook

    1:45 hour

  • difficulty

    Easy

serves

6-8

people

preparation

20

minutes

cooking

1:45

hour

difficulty

Easy

level

Both of my grandmothers and my mother cooked these, and this is a combination of all their recipes. Feel free to double the amounts: cooked shami kebabs freeze well and my motherʼs freezer is never without a batch. 

Ingredients

  • 4 cm (1½ inches) ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 3 tbsp sunflower oil
Coriander and mint chutney
  • 100 g (3½ oz) coriander (cilantro) leaves with stems, but not roots
  • 2 green chillies, deseeded if desired, roughly chopped – optional
  • 15-20 mint leaves
  • salt, to taste
  • juice of ½ lemon
Kebab mixture
  • 175 g (6 oz) chana dhal (chana daal, split chickpeas) or yellow split peas
  • 650 g (1 lb 7 oz) lean minced (ground) beef
  • 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 green cardamom pods, bruised
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 dried red chilli
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and ground
  • ½ tbsp coriander seeds, roasted in a dry frying pan and ground
  • 10 black peppercorns, coarsely ground
  • 1 tomato, cut into quarters
  • salt, to taste
Soaking time: 30 minutes.

Instructions

  1. For the kebab mixture, soak the chana dhal in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Place all the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan with a lid. Pour in about 450 ml (16 fl oz) of water, just enough to cover everything. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, for 30-40 minutes, or until the water has evaporated completely – the mixture needs to be very dry.
  2. Meanwhile, make the chutney by blending all the ingredients in a blender or small food processor. The chutney needs to be thick enough to work as a stuffing for the kebabs, so don’t be tempted to add any water to help with the blending.
  3. Once the kebab mixture is bone-dry, remove the cinnamon, cardamom pods, star anise, chilli and bay leaf.
  4. Transfer the kebab mixture to a food processor, along with the ginger, and blitz to a smooth paste. Add the egg and blitz again to combine.
  5. To make the shami kebabs, mould 2 tablespoonss of the mixture into a ball about the size of a golf ball. Using your thumb, make a hollow in the centre and add about half a teaspoon of the chutney and a couple of pomegranate seeds, then form the mixture back around them, enclosing the stuffing completely. Gently flatten the kebab into a burger shape. Continue until all the mixture is used up.
  6. To cook the kebabs, heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the kebabs in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side until well browned. Remove and drain on paper towels.
  7. Eat immediately, with any remaining chutney on the side, or freeze for up to 3 months, remembering to let them thaw before reheating thoroughly.

Note

• One of my favourite ways to eat these is by making the Karachi street food called bun kebab: a soft brioche bun is lightly fried in a little ghee and filled with a hot shami kebab, tamarind and coriander chutneys and salad.

Images and text from  by Sumayya Usmani, published by Murdoch Books (RRP $45.00). Photography by Alicia Taylor.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Both of my grandmothers and my mother cooked these, and this is a combination of all their recipes. Feel free to double the amounts: cooked shami kebabs freeze well and my motherʼs freezer is never without a batch. 


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SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only.
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Published 21 July 2023 10:41am
By Sumayya Usmani
Source: SBS



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