| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Inactive: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 (1/2-inch thick slice) of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- Small handful fresh cilantro, minced (about 2 tablespoons), plus 2 tablespoons for sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dried cherries, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons toasted cashews, chopped
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 large cinnamon sticks (if you have the kind you get at Indian stores, it’s about 3 tablespoons of cinnamon bark bits)
- 3 tablespoons whole cloves
- 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 2 tablespoons of seeds)
- 4 large black cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 1 tablespoon of seeds), optional
Instructions
- Toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and slightly smoking. Pour into a pestle and mortar and grind until you get a fine powder. Shake into a large bowl.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the mortar and pestle and pound until a paste forms. Scrape into the large bowl.
- Add the beef, 2 tablespoons of minced cilantro, garam masala, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt. Using your hands, thoroughly mix all the ingredients together until the meat is sticky, just a few minutes. Allow the meat to rest about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the cherries and the cashews in a small bowl.
- When meat has rested, divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each one into 2-inch sausage shapes. Make a long indentation in each sausage and stuff with 1/2 teaspoon of the dried cherry stuffing and pinch the meat together over the stuffing. Roll the kebab between your hands to thoroughly seal it. Repeat with the remaining kebabs.
- Warm the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Place the kebabs in the pan in a circular formation, making sure none of the kebabs touch. By the time you’ve placed your last kebab in the pan it will probably be time to start turning the first ones you set down. Cook, turning frequently, until browned all the way around and cooked all the way through, 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the kebabs are cooking, make the simple dipping sauce. Combine the yogurt, the remaining cilantro and half the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Remove the kebabs to a platter with a small bowl of sauce in the center. Drizzle the remaining lime juice over the kebabs and finish with cilantro leaves. Serve.
- Combine the cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom seeds, black cardamom seeds, if using, in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store the spice mix in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 237 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 245 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 237 |
| Total Fat | 17 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 12 g |
| Cholesterol | 42 mg |
| Sodium | 245 mg |
Reviews
Yummy! A little labor-intensive, but well worth it. The flavor combination was unexpected but seriously delicious. I’ve made the kebabs a few times already. Thanks so much!
I used half ground chicken and half ground pork . I didn’t have dried cherries and cashews, so I omitted them. I started out browning them in a pan and finished them off on a charcoal grill for the flavor I wanted. I sliced them lengthwise into 1/4 in slices and put in a pita with hummus , shredded lettuce , chopped dill pickles and topped it with a little feta cheese. Was amazing. The family loved it.
Oh, my goodness….these meatball-kabob things were fabulous! I was having a little trouble stuffing them, so I just mixed the cashews and cherries with the meat and formed the little patties. They were out-of-this world!! And they heated up really well for lunches all week. The dipping sauce was the perfect foil. Aarti, you’ve done it again…you never steer me wrong!
These were quite good, my husband really enjoyed them, & I thought they were ok, maybe a little dry? Don’t think I’d make them again though. I substituted the dried cherries for dried cranberries.
What an excellent combination of flavors. We wondered next time if we will try just mixing in the cherries and cashews to the meat mixture, to save prep time.
Was delicious…loved the cherries and cashews! sorta Moroccan..thank you!
A little greasy which made them naughty, but super yummy. Loved the sweetness of the cherries in the center. Next time Im thinking to double the cherries and just add them to the meat throughout.
These came our really nice with skewers on the BBQ.