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.

Credit: Murdoch Books / Alicia Taylor

• serves

  6-8

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  1:45 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

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 Andaza 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.