Seekh Kebab

This was one of my dad’s favourites whenever we had a BBQ.  Great to cook on the grill and an amazing starter.  The best part, you can make them as spicy or mild as you want – this version only has one Indian spice: garam masala.

Ingredients:

500 grams of minced meat – lamb works best, but anything can be used
1/2 a medium onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Some coriander leaves (as much or as little as suits your palate)
2 tsp garam masala (more if you like it spicier)
1 Cayenne chilli – seeds & pith removed, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Season your mince to taste – make sure you use plenty of seasoning to bring out the flavours in your meat.  Make sure you use a non-metallic bowl – a metal bowl will react with the acidic ingredients and taint your flavours.

Mince your coriander leaves, garlic, chilli (if using) and onion.  I like texture in my kebabs, so I keep my onion moderately fine, but you can mince it to a paste, if you just want the flavouring.

Add your coriander, onion, garlic, and chilli to your meat.

Combine with your hands – don’t be shy – get the kids involved – the wonderful feeling between your fingers aside, it also aids in the texture of the kebabs.

Add your egg and get your hands back in there – squeeze the meat between your fingers so you get the texture of sausagemeat.

Time to add your spices – add as little or as much as you want.  You can also add other ground spices like coriander or cumin – but garam masala is fine on its own.  Combine again.

Add in the juice of half a lemon and combine some more.  Once combined, cover and keep in the fridge for 30 mins.

Time to make your kebabs – wet your hands so they are slightly damp – take a ball of the meat mix and press it onto the skewers – if you don’t have skewers, don’t stress, these can easily be made into patties and cooked like hamburgers.

Squeeze tightly to make the meat stick to the skewer

Open your hand completely, then squeeze again.  Keep opening fully and squeezing until the kebab holds onto the skewer.

To cook, I like to grill these on the BBQ – if you don’t have time (or don’t have a grill) then under the grill (broiler) in your oven is your next best bet – you want something that’ll give you direct heat.  Worst case scenario is in a frying pan with a little oil.

Turn gently – nothing like losing your meat between grills to ruin your day.  Keep turning till fully cooked.

Serve with a little Raita and Pita/naan bread.  Enjoy!