Traditional flavorful beef Shami Kababs, soft, smooth and satisfying. Serve as a burger for kids!
Shami kabab/Kebab/Kabobs are very popular in the middle east and Indian subcontinent. It is a soft meat and lentil mashed patty that is shallow fried. It is served as a appetizer along with condiments such as yogurt Raita, ketchup, green chutney, tamarind sauce. Flavored with warm spices like black pepper, cinnamon and cloves, it gives the meat an earthy flavor. The texture is the most unique of any kababs, the meat and lentils are ground into a paste and then formed into a patty and shallow fried. You get the crispness of the outside and the soft smooth texture inside. It is yummy and so hmmm so satisfying!
Shami kababs can also be made of chicken, lamb, beef or goat meat. Some folks use ground meats, while others use whole meat chunks and then shred it. For vegetarians, red kidney beans is a great substitute for the meat or even Nutrela can be used. Typically yellow Chana dal and egg is used as a binder, some use mashed potato as well, although this is not traditional. As for the egg, some use it inside the mixture, while other coat the patty in the egg before shallow frying. These two methods will give a different external look, but both taste just as great.
What I love about this Kabab recipe is that it can be made and frozen ahead of time, perfect for entertaining. When ready, thaw as many as you need, shallow fry and serve hot. It is a great meal prep ahead dish. Served frequently in Ramadhan and Eid celebrations, this is a must appetizer for the menu. My kids also love this as a burger, just use this in mini slider buns with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, ketchup, mustard or whatever toppings you like.
Makes: 9-10 Shami kababs
Time: 45 mins
Ingredients:
- 3/4 lbs / 1 cup of ground beef
- 1/2 cup yellow Chana dal
- 3/4 cup large diced onion
- 1/2 cup small diced onion
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- Optional: 1 Star Anise (badiya)
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tbsp Shami Kabab masala (I like Laziza or Shan brand)
- 1 tsp Cumin Coriander Powder
- 1/4 tbsp red chili powder or 1 diced fresh green chili
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic (adrak lasen) paste
- Oil for shallow pan frying (typically fried in ghee, but I think oil is just fine)
- 1 large beaten egg
Method:
- Soak Dal in water overnight if possible. Drain when ready to use
- In a pan on medium heat, add Ground beef, 3/4 cup large diced onion, whole spices, salt and ginger garlic paste. Stir and cook for 10 mins till the meat is browned, does not have to be fully cooked.
- Add Dal, ground spices, water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes till the dal is fully cooked and the water is completely dried up. The mixture should be completely dry, if there is any liquid left, cook uncovered till it is all cooked out. It is absolutely critical that the mixture is DRY.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaf and star anise. Discard.
- Using a food process or blender, grind the mixture into a smooth thick paste/Pate consistency.
- Remove in a bowl, add mint, coriander leaves, and small diced onion. Stir well.
- At this point, taste the mixture and adjust salt and spiciness if needed.
- Add a beaten egg and mix in well.
- Divide mixture into 10 equal portions, form round patties. As shown, 3″ diameter, 1″ height. In case it is sticking to your hands, you can use some oil. The shape and size is flexible, make them as you would like.
- At this stage you can lay them out on a tray in a single layer, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze them (see pic above, qty is double recipe). Once frozen, you can put in an air tight container with parchment paper in between the layers. Since they are frozen separately, they should not stick together.
- When ready to eat, In a frying Pan heat up some oil on medium high and shallow fry them. Oil should come up halfway to the height of the kababs. Because of the egg, you will see foamy fins as you cook them which is completely normal. Turn them gently to color each side to a beautiful golden brown. Let each side color before turning to avoid breaking apart. Be very gently in this cooking step.
- Pull out on tissue paper to drain excess oil.
- Enjoy hot with sauce of your choice!
Tips:
- This is a freezer friendly dish. You can freeze the mix, or go ahead and form them then freeze them. Leave just the last shallow frying step for the day when you are ready to enjoy them. Be sure they are in a air tight container to avoid freezer burn.
- This is a perfect dish for “dhungar” or smoking if you know how to do it. This is not a beginner step, so it is not included above and you can easily skip it. If you would like to try it: after step 8 put a small metal dish inside the bowl. Add a hot coal small bowl. Add whole spices (cinnamon, clove, black pepper) and ghee to it. Cover and let the flavorful smoke seep into the mix for 5 mins. This will give it an even more smoky earthy BBQ flavor.
- I happen to have a 1/4 cup measuring cup that I used to shape these, which fits perfectly in slider bun size. You can even use the lid of a Jar. Put plastic wrap inside the cup, fill it, pack it tight, remove the patty using the plastic wrap. This helps make them uniform!