Shami Kebab
شامی کباب
Shami kebabs are the soft, melt-in-the-mouth patties found in almost every Pakistani freezer. Boneless beef and chana daal are boiled together with until the meat falls apart, cooked completely dry, then ground to a smooth paste, shaped and dipped in egg before a quick fry on the . They take some time to make, so most homes cook a big batch and freeze them for school lunches, Ramazan iftar and unexpected guests.
- ⏱ Total: 2 hr 10 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Cook: 1 hr 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Put the beef, drained chana daal, rough-chopped onion, garlic, ginger, dried chilies, all the whole spices, salt and water in a . Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the grey foam that rises.
Cover and simmer on low heat for 60–75 minutes, until the beef breaks apart when pressed with a spoon and the daal is completely soft.
Uncover, turn the heat to high and cook, stirring and mashing, for 8–10 minutes until every drop of water has dried and the mixture starts to stick to the bottom. Pick out the cinnamon, bay leaves and black cardamom, and let it cool.
Grind the cooled mixture in a food processor or chopper, in batches, to a smooth, dough-like paste with no visible threads of meat. Tip it into a bowl.
Add the finely chopped onion, green chilies, coriander, mint and garam masala. Knead with your hands for 2–3 minutes until evenly mixed, then shape into 18 smooth, round patties about 6 cm wide, rubbing a little oil on your palms.
Heat a thin layer of oil on a or flat frying pan over medium heat. Dip each kebab in beaten egg, let the excess drip off and fry for 2–3 minutes per side, until the egg coating is golden brown with lacy edges.
Drain on paper and serve hot with green chutney and onion rings, or alongside daal chawal.
Kitchen notes
The mixture must be completely dry before grinding. Any leftover water makes a sticky paste that will not hold its shape and splits in the pan.
Add the raw onion, chilies and herbs only after grinding. Ground with the meat, they release water and turn the paste soggy.
To freeze, lay the shaped, uncoated kebabs on a tray, freeze until firm, then pack them in a bag for up to 3 months. Dip in egg and fry straight from frozen on medium-low heat.
A kebab for every occasion
Shami kebabs are one of the most loved make-ahead foods in Pakistan. They sit beside daal and rice on an ordinary day, appear on the iftar table all through Ramazan, are packed into school lunch boxes inside a bun, and are fried in a hurry when guests arrive. Unlike seekh kebabs, which are made from raw mince, shami kebabs are made from meat that has already been fully cooked, which is why they are so soft and why they freeze so well.
The technique: boil, dry, grind
The flavour comes from boiling the beef and chana daal together with whole spices: dried red chilies, cumin, peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, black cardamom and bay leaves. The daal makes the kebabs light and helps bind them, so no breadcrumbs are needed.
The single most important step is drying. Once the meat is tender, the lid comes off and the mixture is cooked on high heat, stirring, until no liquid at all remains. Then it is ground to a smooth paste. Fresh onion, green chilies, coriander and mint go in only after grinding, which gives every bite a fresh crunch. Finally, the egg coating protects the soft kebab in the hot oil and forms a thin golden shell.
Variations
- Stuffed shami: press a little chopped onion, mint and green chili into the middle of each kebab before closing it.
- Hyderabadi style: add a tablespoon of dry-roasted coconut and a few poppy seeds to the boil.
- Without egg: dust the kebabs lightly with flour or breadcrumbs and fry them in a little more oil.
Storing
Raw, shaped kebabs freeze for up to 3 months. Fried kebabs keep for 3 days in the fridge and reheat in a few minutes on a hot tawa.
Questions people ask
Why do my shami kebabs break while frying?
Usually the mixture was not dried enough before grinding, or there is too much raw onion. Cook the meat and daal until completely dry, squeeze the chopped onion, and make sure the oil is hot before the kebabs go in.
Can I use mutton or chicken?
Yes. Mutton works the same way. Boneless chicken needs only about 25–30 minutes of simmering, so soak the daal for 2 hours so it softens in the same time.
Can I grind it on a sil batta instead of a machine?
Yes, and many say it gives the best texture. Grind small portions at a time with the stone until smooth. It takes longer but works very well.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 310
- Protein
- 26 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
