Seekh kebab (or shish kebab) is a melt-in-your-mouth preparation said to have been brought to the Indian subcontinent by the Turks long before the Mughals popularized the concept. It traditionally consists of minced mutton threaded onto a skewer (or seekh) and cooked in a tandoor, but it’s equally delicious with minced lamb or beef. It’s also just as good cooked on a grill if you follow these guidelines: the meat should not be too lean; squeeze every bit of liquid from the onion mixture; and let the kebab mixture “marinate” for at least a couple hours. I love to drizzle the finished kebabs with a tart cilantro-yogurt chutney and offer pickled red pearl onions on the side, as they do in Mughlai restaurants. Seekh kebabs can be an appetizer or a main course when served with naan and dal makhani.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, roughly chopped (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 to 4 Thai green chiles or 1 to 2 serrano chiles (depending on your spice level), stemmed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, plus extra leaves for serving
- 4 cloves garlic, grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated (2 teaspoons)
- 1 pound ground lamb, mutton or chuck (about 20 percent fat content)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/2 teaspoon kabab chini or ground allspice, optional (see Cook’s Note)
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter, optional (see Cook’s Note)
- Kosher salt
- Breadcrumbs or roasted chickpea flour, for forming the kebabs if needed
- Vegetable oil or other neutral-flavored oil, for the grill grates
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving
- Cilantro-Yogurt Chutney, recipe follows
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Pickled Red Pearl Onions (Sirke Wale Pyaz), recipe follows, optional
- 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 to 3 Thai green chiles or 1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- Zest and juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces red pearl onions, peeled
Instructions
- Add the onions, chiles, and cilantro to a food processor and pulse until evenly and finely chopped, scrapping down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula as needed. Transfer the mixture to a piece of folded over cheesecloth and add the garlic and ginger. Gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and squeeze every bit of liquid from the mixture. (A lot should come out.) This step is imperative to making a good kebab and makes it easier to skewer the meat mixture.
- Combine the meat, garam masala, chili powder, kabab chini (if using), cashew butter (if using) and squeezed onion mixture in a large bowl. Knead until thoroughly combined, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high.
- Meanwhile, add 2 teaspoons salt to the meat mixture and knead to incorporate. (Do this just before you are ready to make the skewers.)
- Skewering is the only slightly tricky part of this recipe. With moist hands, form the meat into about sixteen 2-inch-wide balls. If the mixture is too moist to hold together, knead in some breadcrumbs. On a large work surface, roll each ball into a cylinder about 1-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches long. Thread the cylinders onto metal skewers. Depending on the size of your skewers, you can thread 3 to 4 cylinders on a single skewer. Don’t worry too much about keeping a perfect cylindrical shape.
- When the grill is hot, lightly oil the grates. Lay the skewers on the grates, close the lid and cook until grill marks form on the bottom of the kebabs, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the kebabs, close the lid and cook until the meat is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more. The whole process should take no more than 6 to 8 minutes. If there are significant flare ups, move the kebabs to another part of the grill and continue cooking.
- Slide the kebabs off the skewers onto a platter. Garnish with cilantro leaves and lightly drizzle with Cilantro-Yogurt Chutney. Serve with lime wedges, the remaining chutney for dipping and Pickled Red Pearl Onions (if using).
- Combine the cilantro, yogurt, chiles, garlic, lime zest, lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender and process until smooth. It should have the consistency of a creamy salad dressing. If it’s too thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water. Taste and adjust the salt and/or lime, if needed.
- Combine the vinegar, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and simmer until the sugar and salt are dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the onions and let come to room temperature. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate, covered, for 4 days. The pickles will keep in the refrierator for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 528 |
| Total Fat | 38 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 25 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Cholesterol | 88 mg |
| Sodium | 756 mg |
Reviews
Didn’t bother with the chutney or pickling. Used ground lamb and it was amazing.