Shami Kabab

Ingredients

• 500 g beef mince, preferably lean
• 100 g chana daal (split chickpeas), washed and soaked in water for 1 hour, then drained
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 4 dried whole red chillies
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 4 cloves
• 3 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom pod
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ tsp salt, or to taste
• 500 ml water
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped, for the filling
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 120 ml cooking oil, for shallow frying

Instructions

1. Put the mince, drained chana daal, quartered onion, garlic, ginger, dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, both cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf and salt in a heavy pot. Pour in the water and bring to a boil.
2. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then and breaking up the mince. The daal should be completely soft and easy to mash between two fingers.
3. Remove the lid, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly, until every bit of liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks dry and crumbly. Pick out the bay leaf, cinnamon and black cardamom pod. If any liquid remains, the kababs will fall apart.
4. Spread the mixture on a plate and let it cool for about 10 minutes, until it is warm rather than hot.
5. Grind the cooled mixture in a food processor in short pulses to a fine, slightly sticky paste. Add the garam masala and beaten egg and pulse once more to combine. Taste and adjust the salt.
6. Mix the finely chopped onion, green chillies, coriander, mint and lemon juice in a small bowl for the filling.
7. Wet your hands lightly. Take a golf-ball-sized portion of the paste, flatten it in your palm and put about half a teaspoon of filling in the middle. Fold the edges over, roll into a ball and press into a patty about 1.5 cm thick. Repeat to make 14 to 16 kababs.
8. Heat about 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Fry the kababs in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until deep golden brown and crisp at the edges. Turn them gently with a slotted spatula and add more oil as needed.
9. Drain the kababs on paper towels. The centre should be hot all the way through, at least 71°C. Serve while warm.

Tips

• Make sure the mixture is fully dry before grinding. Wet mince is the most common reason shami kababs crack or break in the pan.
• Soak the chana daal for a full hour so it softens at the same pace as the meat.
• If the paste feels too loose to shape, cook it a little longer in the pot or add a tablespoon of roasted gram flour (besan).
• Chill the shaped kababs for 20 minutes before frying if you have time. They hold together better and fry more evenly.