Adana Kebab
اَدانا کباب
Adana kebab, from the southern city of Adana, is the spicy, juicy cousin of the seekh kebab. Lamb or mutton is minced with a generous amount of tail fat (dumba fat in Pakistan), kneaded with red pepper and , and pressed by hand onto wide, flat iron skewers. Over hot charcoal the fat melts into the meat and drips onto the coals, so the kebab cooks in its own smoke. It's served on thin flatbread that soaks up the juices.
- ⏱ Total: 42 min
- Prep: 30 min
- Cook: 12 min
- Hard
- Serves 4
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
In a large bowl, combine the mince, chopped fat, red capsicum, green chilies, pul biber, pepper paste, salt and black pepper.
Knead hard for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture is very sticky and pulls away from the bowl in one mass. This is what makes it stay on the skewer.
Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, toss the sliced onions with the sumac, parsley and a pinch of salt.
With wet hands, take a handful of mince and squeeze it along a wide flat skewer into a long kebab about 2 cm thick, pinching ridges along it with your fingers.
Grill over hot, ash-covered charcoal for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes, until charred and cooked through. Grill the tomatoes and peppers alongside, and warm the flatbreads over the kebabs to catch the drips.
Slide the kebabs onto the flatbread and serve with the sumac onions, grilled vegetables and ayran.
Kitchen notes
Without enough fat the kebab will be dry and fall off the skewer. Traditional Adana uses about 1 part fat to 4 parts meat.
Use wide, flat skewers (the kind sold for seekh kebab in Pakistan). Round skewers can't hold the mince.
No grill? Shape the mince into flat logs and cook on a very hot tawa, then give them a dhungar with a hot coal.
Seekh kebab’s Turkish cousin
Anyone who loves Pakistani seekh kebab will love Adana. Both are minced meat pressed onto a skewer and grilled over coals, but Adana is made with lamb, plenty of fat, and red pepper rather than garam masala, and it’s served on soft flatbread rather than with naan.
In Turkey, “Adana kebab” is protected as a regional product: the real one must be made with lamb, tail fat, red pepper and salt, minced by hand with a long, curved knife called a zırh.
What matters
Fat. Tail fat (dumba fat, sold by many Pakistani butchers around Eid ul Adha) is traditional. It melts as the kebab cooks, keeping it juicy and creating the smoke that flavours it.
Kneading. Long, hard kneading makes the proteins sticky so the mince clings to the skewer.
Cold. Chilled mince holds its shape over the heat.
Flat skewers. Wide, flat skewers grip the meat; round ones let it slide around and fall.
Serving
Lay the kebabs on thin flatbread or rumali-style roti, with onions tossed with and parsley, grilled tomatoes and peppers, and a jug of ayran. Our guide to Pakistani BBQ at home covers charcoal and smoking without a grill.
Questions people ask
What's the difference between Adana and Urfa kebab?
They're made the same way, but Adana is spicy with hot pepper and pul biber, while Urfa kebab is mild.
Can I use beef?
Yes. Beef mince with beef fat works well; the taste is a little heavier than lamb.
Why does my kebab fall off the skewer?
The mixture wasn't kneaded long enough, wasn't cold, or was too wet. Knead until very sticky, chill well, and squeeze the capsicum dry.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 28 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
