Shami kebab
Soft, crisp-edged patties of beef and chana dal cooked with whole spices, then ground and fried. The make-ahead favourite for iftar.
- Serves6
- Prep30 min
- Soak2 hr
- Cook1 hr 15 min
- HeatWarm
Shami kebabs are the most useful thing to have in the freezer in Ramadan. Make a big batch, freeze them shaped, and fry a few whenever you need them.
Ingredients
Ask at the counter for500g boneless beef
Cut: Boneless beef
Method
Put the beef, drained chana dal, roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger, dried chillies, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, salt and water in a pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour, until the beef and dal are very soft.
Uncover and cook on a medium-high heat, stirring, until all the liquid has gone and the mixture is dry. Take out the cinnamon stick.
Leave it to cool, then grind in a food processor until smooth and doughy.
Mix in the finely chopped onion, green chillies, herbs and garam masala. Shape into 16 flat patties about 6cm across.
Heat 5mm of oil in a frying pan. Dip each kebab in beaten egg and fry for 2 to 3 minutes a side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
Tips
- If the mixture is too soft to shape, chill it for 30 minutes.
- The mixture must be completely dry in step 2, or the kebabs fall apart in the pan.
Good to know
- Make ahead and freezing
- Freeze the shaped kebabs on a tray before the egg, then bag them. Defrost in the fridge, dip in egg and fry.
- Heat
- Warm. Add green chillies at the table if you like it hotter.