Seekh Kabab (Minced Meat Kabobs)

If you've ever been to an Indian restaurant, you've probably started drooling as a waiter has walked by your table with a cast iron pan of sizzling meat (similar to a plate of fajita meat). That dish is usually a plate of tandoori meats - chicken, shrimp, lamb and many times seekh kababs on a bed of onions.

Seekh Kabab is ground meat (usually lamb, but can be beef) blended with spices, onions, cilantro and peppers shaped around sticks into long, narrow cylinders. They also have a hint of tandoori seasoning.

Usually they are served along with raita, cilantro-mint chutney and tamarind sauce.

So I decided to try making them a few weeks ago, when I invited friends over for an Indian dinner - and I think they were pretty popular.

I used two pounds of ground beef which made about 12 kebabs.

Here's how I made them. Note: Soak wooden skewers for an entire day in water.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of ground beef
4 tbsp. of plain yogurt
1 inch of ginger, grated (use a Microplane for best results)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large onion, minced
3 to 4 green chilies, chopped with seeds
1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. of tandoori powder
2 tbsp of garam masala
1 tsp of sea salt or 1.5 of regular salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add all ingredients to the meat.
2. With your hands, blend all the ingredients together, evenly. The meat should change consistency a bit to be smoother and the color will be redder, because of the tandoori.
3. Allow the meat to marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.
4. Preheat grill or oven to 400 degrees. If cooking in an oven use a sheet pan with a tray to drain the liquid from the meat. 
5. Take about 1/4 cup of meat and shape it around the skewer. Add a bit of oil to the meat as you place it around the skewer so it doesn't stick. Repeat 11 more times. 
6. Place the skewers on the grill or oven, and turn every 5 minutes so the meat cooks evenly. Should be cooked in 20 to 25 minutes and will be a golden brown color on the outside. You may need to drain the pan, if cooking in the oven. 

Dining Out - Desi Style

Growing up, my father and grandmother (my mom's mom) cooked Indian meals at home. My mom was practically scared to enter the kitchen, other than to clean, during that time because they would always cook.

We did go out and eat sometimes, but after my father passed away - we ate out a lot more. Most Indian cuisine in restaurants are north and south Indian and not a lot of it is cuisine from where my family is from in Calcutta.

The other day I went with a friend to dinner at Dhaba, a restaurant off Lexington Ave in New York City. I was surprised to see that this restaurant had cuisine my family would be familiar with, stuff I grew up on and stuff they snacked on from street cars.

According to the Web site, the restaurant is a part of a chain, each restaurant with different names, located in Westport and Greenwich, Conn., Lee, Mass., Elmford and Brewster, NY and two other locations in New York City.

We ordered keema, a ground lamb dish, and navarathan korma, cauliflower, vegetables and paneer in korma, a sweet cream-based sauce. We also got a mango lassi, a mango milkshake, shared garlic naan and mehti pakoras, or fried fenugreek.

Keema is something I regularly grew up on - probably because it was easy to make and could be eaten with already prepared breads.

Here's a recipe for Keema. The ground meat can be chicken, beef, lamb or turkey. Also the one we had in the restaurant had chopped boiled egg in it as well. There are a lot of spices - but it tastes incredible at the end.

Lamb Keema
serves 6, Prep: 20 min., Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp of cooking oil
  
• 1.5 cups of finely chopped onions (preferably ground):  
• 2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1 inch of finely minced ginger
  
• 2 serrano peppers, chopped
  
• 1.5 pound of ground lamb
• 1/4 tsp. of turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp of cumin powder
• 1 tsp of coriander powder
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half 
• 6 cloves
  
• 3 black cardamons, crushed
  
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
  
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1 cup of tomato puree
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of frozen peas
  
• 2 tbsp of cilantro, chopped
  
• 2 eggs, boiled then chopped, if desired.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add onions and sauté onions till clear about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and serrano pepper. Continue sauteing for about 90 seconds.
2. Add ground lamb. Over medium heat break up lamb and cook until browned.
   
3. Grind whole spices in coffee grinder. Add all spices to the lamb and saute.
   
4. Add tomato puree and mix through.
   Add water and bring it to a near boil. Turn the heat down to low. Cover and simmer covered for 15 minutes, then uncover and cook until most of the water is evaporated.
   
5. When meat is tender, stir in baby peas. Shut off heat. Do NOT cook peas for long time, they loose color and become mushy. If desired add in chopped boiled egg.
   Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
   

Serve with paratha, puri (puffed bread) or naan.


We also drank mango lassi. It is so easy to make. You can also use peaches, strawberries or pears

Mango Lassi
4 to 8 servings, Prep: 15 min., no cook time

Ingredients:

• A can of mango puree (for four people you need 8 oz. for eight people you need 16 oz.).
• 16 oz. of yogurt (8 oz. for 4 servings, 16 oz. for 8 servings)
• 1 bottle of rose water (found in Indian grocery stores).
  

Directions:

1. In a blender, add desirable amount of mango puree. 
2. Add equal amount of yogurt
3. Add four to six drops of rose water.
4. Blend and serve over ice.