Shami Kabab — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Silky-smooth patties made from beef or mutton boiled with chana dal until tender, ground to a fine paste, shaped, and shallow-fried until golden. These melt-in-your-mouth kababs are a refined delicacy served at celebrations.

Ingredients

500g beef or mutton, cubed
1/2 cup chana dal (split chickpeas)
1 medium onion, quartered
6 whole black peppercorns
4 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 dried red chilies
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons fresh mint and coriander, finely chopped
1 small onion, very finely diced
Oil for shallow frying

Instructions

1 Place cubed meat, chana dal, quartered onion, and all whole spices in a pressure cooker with two cups of water and salt. Cook under pressure for thirty minutes until the meat and dal are completely tender and all water has evaporated.
2 Remove the whole spices (bay leaves, cinnamon stick) and let the mixture cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and grind to a very smooth, sticky paste. The texture should be so fine that no grains are visible.
3 Transfer the paste to a bowl and mix in the beaten egg, finely chopped herbs, and diced raw onion. The raw onion adds a crucial fresh crunch to contrast the smooth paste.
4 With oiled hands, shape the mixture into round patties about three inches in diameter and half an inch thick. Place on a tray and refrigerate for thirty minutes to firm up.
5 Shallow fry the patties in a pan with a thin layer of oil over medium heat for three minutes per side until a deep golden-brown crust forms. Serve hot with green chutney and sliced onions.

Did You Know?

The name 'shami' is believed to derive from 'Sham,' the Arabic name for Syria/Damascus, though the dish itself was perfected in Lucknow and Hyderabad. In Pakistan, shami kababs are considered the gold standard of a good home cook.