Melt-in-the-mouth and succulent, shami kebab is one of the easiest kebabs to make with boneless lamb chunks and chana dal. These kebabs are an amazing appetizer as well as a tea time snack
One very popular street food of Mumbai is kebab pav, which I am a huge fan of. Two of my most favorite places selling them are Ayub’s (Kala Ghoda) and Nice (Santacruz). Along with the kebabs, these haunts also serve some lip smacking chutneys. One is the coriander and mint chutney and the other a spicy chilli garlic one. And of the two, the latter is my favorite! Reminiscing my Mumbai days, a huge craving for kebabs and these chutneys took over and I gave in. Therefore, for our brunch this morning, I made these melt-in-the-mouth shami kebabs along and the chutneys. I served them with a side of salad and also chai, to make our brunch even more fulfilling. And what a great idea it was bringing a slice of Mumbai into my home! 🙂
This combination of kebab stuffed in dinner rolls is also a great lunch box idea. Moreover, yummy shami kebabs are a super hit party appetizer. These are one of the easiest to make and is a fried variety of kebabs, not grilled. These melt-in-the-mouth patties are made with lamb (or goat meat) chunks, chana dal and loads of whole spices. Earthy and aromatic spices like cinnamon, cardamom, mace, peppercorns and bay leaves fill the shami kebabs with tons of flavors. Furthermore the addition of fresh herbs like mint and coriander take their taste to a whole different level. While this kebab is generally not hot, I love adding fresh chillis also to mine. I enjoy the kick that they add, but it is totally optional.
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Easy to make recipe
Like I said, these kebabs are easy to put together and will require really minimum efforts as well. Making shami kebabs is a three step process – pressure cooking the ingredients, shaping and then frying them. I promise it is that easy! Moreover, if you are planning to make these for a dinner party, you could shape and refrigerate the kebabs to fry them just before you need them. In fact, they even freeze very well. Make sure to flash freeze them first and then freeze the kebabs for later use. When frozen, your shami kebabs will stay well for two to three months. You can serve these delicious kebabs with spicy chutneys along with chai and/or drinks. The chilli garlic chutney that I make for my kebabs is also the one I make for my momos. And the mint-coriander chutney is the one I make for my sev puris.
Whether you make these shami kebabs for you brunch this weekend or for your next house party, you are sure to win hearts with them. And if. you do happen to make them, do let me know how they turned out. I’d love hearing back from you. You could drop your feedback in the comments section below or share your food pictures with me over on Instagram.
Eat hearty!
Shami kebabs (lamb)
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Frying pan
Ingredients
- 500 g lamb (or mutton/ goat meat) boneless chunks
- ½ cup chana dal washed and soaked in water for 2-4 hours
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp coriander seed powder
- 1 tbsp shahi jeera caraway seeds
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 3-4 cloves
- 1 blade javitri mace
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 4-5 dried red chillis
- 1½ tbsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ cup onions sliced
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mint leaves finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chillis finely chopped
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 2-3 tbsp chaat masala
- ¼ cup oil for frying
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a pressure cooker add all the ingredients along with ¾ cup water - except the chaat masala, ghee, chillis, mint and coriander leaves. Cook over medium high flame until the dal and the meat are completely cooked (mine took 20 minutes)
- Once done, remover from flame and let the pressure in the cooker subside. Open the lid (discard the bay leaves) and cook off any water left, on high heat, stirring continuously. This lamb-chana dal mixture has to be very dry, otherwise your kebabs will break while frying
- Remove the dried this in a mixing bowl. With a help of a spatula, mash the dal and the meat, until well combined - keep breaking the lamb/mutton chunks and mix well
- Add the ghee, chillis, mint and coriander leaves. Check for salt and adjust if needed. Divide the kebab mixture into 12 -14 equal portions
- Form each of them into a ball and then gently flatten them out to shape them like patties. Pinch and seal any cracks. Keep the shaped kebabs refrigerated for 15-20 minutes
- In a frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat and fry each of them until golden brown, all over. Remove on absorbent kitchen towels. Serve your yummy shami kebabs, drizzled with the chaat masala along with with a chutneys of your choice. Enjoy!
Notes
- A lot of recipes suggest running the dal and meat mixture (step 3) in a mixer-grinder, but I prefer mashing it using a spatula so that the meat doesn't loose it's texture and become pasty
- 1 cup = 250 millilitres
- tbsp - tablespoon
- tsp - teaspoon
- g - grams
