INDIA
Kebabs in India are sometimes made with already cooked meat instead of raw—strange, given that you don’t necessarily need to cook meat twice. This said, cooking the meat before grinding it and grilling it makes for a different texture, and these kebabs are quite delicious, and typical of Hyderabadi cuisine, so they’re definitely worth the trouble to make.
SERVES 4
6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
1–inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
2 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
2 green chilies, thinly sliced
3 medium-hot dried chilies
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons chana dal (yellow split peas)
9 ounces (250 g) lean ground lamb
1 tablespoon yogurt
Leaves from 2 sprigs mint, finely chopped
Sea salt
2 small shallots (1½ ounces/45 g total), halved and cut into wedges
A few sprigs cilantro, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
1 organic egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a medium pot over medium heat until hot. Add the black cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds, then add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Stir until fragrant, then add the dried chilies and the turmeric. Stir for another minute or so, then add the chana dal and sauté for a minute or so. Add the lamb, yogurt, mint, and salt to taste and cook, stirring to break up any lumps, until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water and let bubble for 30 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed and the chana dal is very soft. Adjust the salt if necessary.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in another skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the cooked meat mixture to a food processor and process with the fried shallots until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cilantro and half the beaten egg. Mix with your hand and check if the mixture can be easily shaped. If it is still a little stiff, add a little more egg. The whole egg may make it too soft to shape. Once you have the right consistency, shape the mixture into 8 medium patties or into 8 fat fingers.
4. Wipe the skillet in which you fried the shallots and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee over medium heat. When the ghee is hot, add the meat patties or fingers and fry until browned on all sides. Serve hot.