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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

Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

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I stop by to see Mama and Dad. Mama is busy in the kitchen. My youngest sister and her hubby are driving down from Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, with their two little girls for a short visit. Mama is busy in the kitchen fixing dinner. She is fixing Keema Curry as my brother-in-law, in particular, is very fond of it. She does that with all her sons-in-law and kids when we visit, so we always look forward to Mama’s “specials” and to her spoiling us!

Keema is ground/minced meat that is fixed with traditional Indian spices. It goes well with most Indian meals, rice, and pilaf. It tastes good with any flat bread or fried bread like Pooris or Baturas.

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Keema Curry (Ground Beef Curry)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 4
A delicious non-vegetarian dish of minced/ground meat and aromatic spices tossed in a fragrant tomato sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground lean beef (goat, lamb—see notes if using  80% fat free beef)
  • 1 medium Serrano chili (stem removed and slit in half—remove seeds for less chili heat)
  • 2 tbsp cooking oil
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder (or garlic salt)
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 stick cinnamon (about an inch or ¼ tsp cinnamon powder)
  • 6 whole cloves (⅛ tsp clove powder)
  • 6 whole pepper corns (½ teaspoon pepper powder)
  • 1 medium onion (about ¾ cup when chopped fine or partially puree in a chopper )
  • 1 tbsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 3 medium Roma tomatoes (or 2 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tomatoes and 1 tbsp tomato paste)
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder (more or less, to your taste)
  • 2 medium potatoes (scrubbed clean, peeled, and quartered into 8 cubes )
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro / coriander leaves (1 cup loosely filled cilantro/ coriander leaves, chopped fine)
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro / coriander leaves (for garnish)

Instructions 

  • In a medium stew pot, skillet or wok, add about a teaspoon of oil and swirl it around.
  • Turn the stove on medium heat, and when the oil is heated a bit, add the ground beef, breaking it into bits with the spatula.
  • Sprinkle the ground beef with about 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder or garlic salt.
  • Braise the ground beef, occasionally stirring, until the fat separates, and the beef changes color uniformly and is no longer pink—about 15 minutes. Do not brown.
  • Turn off the stovetop. Drain excess fat. See notes.
  • Meanwhile, wipe the used pot of any traces of the ground beef and put it back on the stove on medium heat.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of oil.
  • Add the slit green chili, then the bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper. Let sizzle for 30 seconds. **If you are using any of them in powdered form, hold them for now.
  • Add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 8 minutes until ¾ brown.
  • Now add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
  • Add the turmeric, coriander, cumin, chili, and any of the whole spice powders you have decided to use.
  • Sauté for another minute until you feel the ginger sticking to the bottom of the pan and the oil starts to separate.
  • Now add the tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 6 minutes until the tomatoes begin to soften.
  • Add the chopped cilantro, and cook until the oil starts to surface once more. About 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the ground beef and stir well. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add 2 cups of water and the potatoes.
  • Add the salt and give it a few stirs.
  • Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the gravy has thickened too much, add a little more hot water.  
  • Check for salt in the last 5 minutes of cooking. At the same time, check on the potatoes to see if they are done.
  • To check, pierce potatoes with a skewer. It should slide through easily. If not, give it a few more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Remember, potatoes cook a bit after you turn off the stove.
  • Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved chopped cilantro.

Notes

1. Serve with plain rice or pilaf, flatbreads, fried bread, or as part of a complete Indian meal.  
2. If you are using 80% fat-free beef, as I do sometimes, then before starting  to cook, prepare to strain the excess beef fat released when cooking. Do this by folding two paper towels together and placing them on the sieve. You will drain the ground beef and a pot underneath, of course, to catch the excess drip. This step is unnecessary if you are using lean beef or lean meats. All you need to do is sauté the ground beef for about 15 minutes and set aside until ready to add to the curry.  
3. If you would like to add peas, you can microwave a cup in a bit of water and add them to the ground beef in the last 5 minutes. Mama always said peas seem to retain their bright color if you do that rather than boil them with the gravy for 15 mins. You can do that, too, if you don't like using a microwave.
Course: Main Course, Non-Vegetarian
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: beef,, curry, lamb, meat
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