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Seekh Kebabs (Ground Meat Skewers)

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It is dusk in New Delhi. There is a crowd of people jostling around the kebab stall, trying to get the attention of the counter guys. No question of a queue for this hungry crowd, of course! You will get served if you are lucky enough to push your way to the front. The cooks are busy turning the kebabs on the spit. The aroma has my mouth watering. I stand back and watch my brother-in-law and husband push their way through. Amazingly they are back in a short while with the kebabs wrapped in foil with a side of thinly sliced vinegared onions and mint chutney. They also manage to get some rumali rotis (soft, thin, oversized stretchy rotis that go well with tandoori dishes). We head home to feast.

Seekh Kebabs are made out of ground meat, predominantly lamb, beef, or chicken, flavored with aromatic spices. This recipe is with beef. The meat is marinated with spices and shaped into sausage-like cylinders on skewers. Typically cooked in a tandoor in restaurants, it can be grilled or barbequed at home.

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Seekh Kebabs (Ground Meat Skewers)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 50 minutes
Servings 4
Seekh Kebabs are made out of ground meat, predominantly lamb, beef, or chicken, flavored with aromatic spices.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef ((20% fat content))
  • 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • ½ medium onion
  • 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 medium Serrano green chili (optional)
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro (loosely packed, save a little for garnish)
  • ½ tsp black pepper powder
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder (optional, to taste)
  • ¾ tsp dry mango powder (amchur) (found in Indian grocery stores)
  • 1½ tsp salt ( or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp oil

For Garnish

  • 1 lemon (sliced or quartered )
  • 1 tsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Instructions 

  • Using a skillet or griddle, dry roast the whole coriander seeds and cumin seeds on medium heat until fragrant. Approximately 1 minute.
  • Pour into a small bowl and set aside to cool.
  • Grind to a fairly fine powder in a spice or coffee grinder.
  • Process the onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and green chili into a fine paste in a processor or blender.
  • Pour the mixture through a fine strainer and drain the excess liquid by pressing down on it with a spoon or paper towel.
  • Add the beef, the ground paste, and the rest of the spices in a large bowl.  
  • Knead till all the ingredients are well mixed. Take at least 5 minutes to do this, as it helps keep the kebabs from breaking on the skewer.
  • Rest the mixture in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
  • Divide the ground beef mixture into 8-10 portions.
  • Form into smooth meatballs.
  • On a flat surface, using your fingers, roll the meatballs into sausage shapes about 4" long and 3/4" in diameter. Make sure they are of even thickness.
  • Gently slide a skewer through the middle. You can also form and shape the kebabs directly on the skewer. Make sure the meat is evenly distributed on the skewer. 
  • Place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more until ready to use.
  • Heat a well-oiled cast iron or nonstick stove top grill on medium-high.
  • Grill the kebabs, rotating carefully, until evenly well-browned on the surface and cooked through. It takes about 10-15 minutes. (The kebabs can be cooked in several ways. See notes).
  • Garnish with lemon slices or wedges and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro.
  • Serve with rumali roti, naan, or flatbread with mint chutney and thinly sliced onions (red or yellow).

Notes

Other ways to cook Seekh Kebabs:
1. Pan fry on medium-high, 4 minutes on each side till done.
2. The kebabs can be baked in an oven at 475 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, but turn them around during cooking to be evenly browned. Remember not to dry them out.
3. Grill them on your rotisserie feature in your air fryer. Approximately 9 minutes. 
4. Grill them on a BBQ, but take care that the heat is not high enough to char the Seekh Kebabs. Turn them carefully 8-10 minutes.
Other ways to serve Seekh Kebabs:
1. I will sometimes serve the kebabs with a hot dog bun, mayonnaise, and mint chutney topped with sliced onions for an Indo-American fusion. You can pickle the onions (red or yellow) in vinegar a couple of days ahead to add a little zest.
2. Fix smaller-sized kebabs for cocktail parties.
Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: ground beef, kebabs, lamb, seekh

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In Main Dishes

Lamb Curry

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I had a Tweet request for Lamb Curry, so this one is for you, my friend!

In India, sheep and goat breeds vary from region to region depending on agro-ecological conditions. We mainly ate goat meat, but since Father was in the army and moved all over India, we would eat lamb in some areas. This recipe should be good with any variety of lamb. To me, lamb has a stronger flavor than goat. Both meats are good for stews and curries and go well with Indian spices. I like to cook the curry with a couple of marrow bones or bones as it give the curry a great taste. They are a lot smaller than beef bones. When we were growing up, the marrow bone was prized amongst us kids. Bone marrow may sound to many like a terrible thing to eat, but it has tremendous health benefits and is a popular delicacy, particularly in German cuisine. Bone marrow has made a comeback in recent years and is served at trendy restaurants.

At home, since we were a family of 9, there were only a few marrow bones in a curry, so we would take turns and share. On our “Marrow Bone Day,” our place setting would have a marrow spoon. It was a long, narrow metal scoop about 5″- 6″ long that we used to scoop the marrow out. Actually, by the time the curry was cooked the tender part of the bone was soft enough to chew, but Dad frowned on such behavior at the table! But, being kids, we’d sneak into the kitchen and try on occasion to do just that. Cook was sworn to secrecy and would keep an eye out for Father! For those who have chewed on chicken bones and ribs, you know what I mean.

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Lamb Curry

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 6
A fragrant curry, simmered in spices, yogurt, tomatoes, and onions.

Ingredients

  • 1 large whole black cardamom
  • 2 small whole green cardamom
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 sticks (about an inch long) cinnamon
  • 5 cloves
  • 6 black pepper corns
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped, about 5 oz)
  • 1 large potato (optional, peeled and quartered )
  • 1 small Serrano green chili (optional)
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground garlic
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • ¼ tsp red chili powder (more or less to your taste)
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp garlic salt (or regular salt if you don't have garlic salt)
  • 4 tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 tsp salt (or to your taste)
  • 3 cups hot water

Instructions 

Helpful Hint

  • To make things easier, have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking.  

To Cook

  • Heat oil in a 4-5 quart cooking pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon cloves, peppercorn, and green serrano. Cook, stirring for about 30 seconds.
  • Add the chopped onions. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes until half caramelized (brown).
  • Add the garlic paste, ginger paste, as well as coriander, turmeric, and chili powders, (Alternately, you can mix the spice powders with the ginger-garlic paste and a little water before adding them to the pot). Stir for about a minute until fragrant, stirring and scraping the bottom, so it doesn't stick and burn. If it is sticking, just pour in a little hot water.
  • Add the lamb stew meat, 2 tablespoons of cilantro, and garlic salt (or salt). Cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it cook in its own juice for another 5 minutes.
  • Uncover and cook until the moisture evaporates and the oil starts to surface on the sides. Be sure to continue to stir occasionally so that the masala does not stick to the pot and burn. 
  • Now add the tomato paste and about a quarter cup of hot water. Let it cook, stirring frequently, for another 4 minutes.
  • Pour the rest of the hot water and let it simmer until the meat is tender, about 25 minutes.
  • If you like to add potatoes to your curry, you can add them at this point. You can add a little more hot water if you like a thinner gravy, but do not let it get too liquidy!
  • Pour into a serving dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro.
  • Lamb Curry pairs well with rice, rice pilaf, naans, or rotis (tortillas). 
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: curry, lamb
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