The Original Karims Seekh Kebab Recipes

SEEKH KEBAB WITH MINT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Prepare the lamb skewers: In a large bowl, combine the lamb with the cheese, cilantro, chile powder, ginger, garlic, green chile, garam masala, cumin seeds, cardamom and 2 teaspoons salt. Shape the meat like a sausage into six 5-inch logs that are just under 2 inches thick. Skewer each and pack them tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight to firm up.
• Prepare the mint chutney: Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, ginger, green chile and 1/4 cup water to a blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. (Add more water by the spoonful, if needed, until mixture is saucy.) Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the anardana, lemon juice and sugar; season to taste with salt and more sugar, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The mint chutney is best the day it's prepared, but it can be refrigerated one day in advance.)
• Brush the grill with neutral oil and heat over medium. Grill the kebabs, rotating as needed, until browned all over and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with mint chutney, and very thinly sliced red onion, if desired. Sprinkle kebabs and onions (if using) with deggi chile powder and serve immediately.

INDIAN STYLE SHEEKH KABAB

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix ground lamb, onions, mint, cilantro, ginger paste, and chile paste. Season with cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Mold handfuls of the lamb mixture, about 1 cup, to form sausages around skewers. Make sure the meat is spread to an even thickness. Refrigerate until you are ready to grill.
• Preheat grill for high heat.
• Brush grate liberally with oil, and arrange kabobs on grill. Cook for 10 minutes, or until well done, turning as needed to brown evenly.

SEEKH KEBABS

Steps:

• 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.

THE ORIGINAL KARIM'S SEEKH KEBAB

Steps:

• 1. Combine the split peas and turmeric in a medium-size saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the peas, uncovered, until just tender but not mushy, 12 to 15 minutes you should be able to crush a properly cooked pea between your thumb and forefinger. Drain the peas in a colander and let cool.2. Grind the cooled peas to a coarse meal in a food processor. Stir the peas into the lamb in a large bowl along with the garlic, scallions, cilantro, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, then knead and squeeze the mixture with your hands until thoroughly blended, 3 to 4 minutes. To test the mixture for seasoning, sauté a small amount of it in a nonstick skillet until cooked through, then taste, adding salt, pepper, or cayenne to the remaining mixture as necessary it should be highly seasoned. Cover and refrigerate the meat mixture for 1 hour.3. If desired, set up the grill for grateless grilling. Preheat the grill to high.4. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Divide the meat mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly wet your hands with cold water, then, starting about 1 inch from the tip of a skewer, mold one portion of the mixture around the skewer to form a sausage about 10 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Place each kebab as it is made on the prepared baking sheet (see Note).5. When ready to cook, if not using the grateless method, generously oil the grate. Arrange the kebabs on the grill as described in the grateless method, or arrange directly on the hot oiled grate. Grill, turning with tongs, until nicely browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes in all.6. Slide each sausage off its skewer onto a serving plate (if serving with naan, use it to protect your hand as you remove the sausages). Serve accompanied by sliced onion and lemon wedges.Makes 4 sausages serves 4 as an entréeNote: If not planning to cook immediately, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.