Shikampuri Kabab

Shikampuri Kabab

I am very fond of travelling..not just to big cities, historical places, hill stations but also small places one has not heard the name of..Lumbding, Sialkuchi, Morbi, Alang...and I have very fond memories of my visits.

One such visit was to the city of Nawabs, Lucknow. The occasion apart ( attending a marriage), I had a great time shopping and eating. There is something about Awadhi cuisine that sets it apart. Maybe it is because of the influence of the Middle East, Persia, Kashmir. Even the names sound exotic and drool worthy..kababs, kormas, nahari kulchas, salan, pasinda…

On my trip to Lucknow I had the opportunity to sample some of their fine kababs. There are so many kinds of kababs- kakori kabab, galuti kabab, patili-ke-kabab, boti kabab, sheek kabab, ghutwa kabab, galawat ke kabab and so on. The kababs are melt in your mouth delicious. They are resplendent with all kinds of flavours and are simply awesome.

The kabab I have tried here is the Shikampuri Kabab but with a difference. The original recipe calls for a filling of hardboiled egg which I decided to omit. Mutton and egg both are not good for high blood pressure patients. No point having both of them together in the same dish. The kabab still tastes very yummmmm….

Ingredients

½ kg mutton mince

¼ cup chana dal

10 flakes garlic

1 tsp shah jeera

3-4 green cardamoms

Small stick cinnamon

4 cloves

2 tbsp oil

¼ cup almonds, soaked, peeled and cut into small pieces

Small piece of fresh coconut, grated

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp turmeric

1 egg

Salt to taste

Wash and drain the keema well.

Soak the dal in water for 1 hour.

Pressure cook together mince, dal, garlic, green cardamom, shah jeera, cinnamon, cloves and oil with some water.

After 5-6 whistles switch off the gas and wait for the pressure to drop. If there is any water left in the cooker put it back on flame and dry out the water, stirring constantly.

To the mutton mince add the blanched almonds and grated coconut. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Remove form fire and cool. Put the keema in a blender along with salt, turmeric, lemon juice, chilli powder and egg. Blend well to form a thick paste.

Now form balls and shallow fry the kababs.