Beef shami kebabs

Name: Beef shami kebabs
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Makes 30
Cuisine: Pakistani
Ingredients: ½ bunch of mint leaves; 1 dried red chilli; 2 bay leaves; salt, to taste; 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 4 pieces each; 1 egg, beaten; 4-cm/1½-inch piece ginger, peeled; 1 small bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves; 2 green chillies, deseeded (optional); 2 whole garlic cloves; 2 medium onions, roughly cut into 4 pieces each; 10–15 black peppercorns; 1 long cinnamon quill; 1 whole star anise; 6–8 cardamom pods, bruised; 1 tbsp each of whole coriander (cilantro) seeds and cumin seeds; 1 tbsp each of whole coriander (cilantro) seeds and cumin seeds; 450 g/1 lb/2 cups chana daal; 1 kg/2¼ lb lean beef mince (ground beef); 1 kg/2¼ lb lean beef mince (ground beef)

Preparation info

Makes
30

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
1 hr 20

Appears in

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree

By Sumayya Usmani

Published 2016

About

This ultimate festive Pakistani kebab is actually pretty easy to make: minced beef is cooked with spices and chaana daal. It’s then blended until almost a paste, formed into patties, and lightly fried. It’s a dish from the kitchens of the Mughals, and nearly every Pakistani family has their own take on the heritage recipe.

Ingredients

450 g/1 lb/2 cups chana daal
1

Asia
Pakistan
Starter
Summer
Gluten-free

Method

Soak the chana daal in a bowl of water for 30 minutes. Place all the ingredients, except the egg, ginger, herbs and green chilli, in a large saucepan with a lid. Pour in 700ml/24 fl oz/3 cups of water, or enough to cover the ingredients. Cook over a medium heat for 30–40 minutes until the water has evaporated – this is important as the mince needs to very dry when cooked. Keep stirring if requi