Shami Kebab

Shami kebab are tender patties made from meat and chana dal. Izzah Cheema’s selected recipe uses ground beef, a homemade whole-spice blend and the stovetop cooking method, followed by an egg coating and pan-frying.

Coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, cinnamon, black cardamom, green-cardamom seeds, cloves and selected regular cumin seeds are ground into the spice blend. The chana dal is washed, soaked in hot water and drained before joining the beef, cooking onion, garlic, ginger, bay leaf, chilli flakes, separate cumin seeds, kosher salt and selected optional chaat masala in the pot.

The pot comes to a boil covered, and surface scum is skimmed away. Cooking continues with the lid ajar until the dal is cooked, with frequent stirring toward the end to dry the mixture; it then cools and the bay leaf is removed.

A separate onion, selected serrano chilli, coriander and mint are pulsed finely without being blended. The cooled beef-and-dal mixture is processed smooth in batches and combined with those chopped aromatics, then tasted and adjusted before the selected optional mixing egg is added.

Oiled hands shape flat, round patties. Each is coated on both sides with the separate egg wash, pan-fried and drained on a paper-towel-lined plate; any leftover coating egg can cook in the same remaining oil and be served with the patties. This presentation selects ready ketchup alongside.