Chicken Shami Kebab

             

Mughlai Cuisine - It's a cuisine which all Indians are die hard fans. Whether its Biryani, Kebab, Kofta or Rezala we all enjoy them equally. Thanks to the royal Mughal kitchens who taught us to cook these palatable dishes.

                 

The taste of Mughlai dishes varies from mild to spicy and flavored with whole or ground spices. My home gets aromatic whenever I cook something from this cuisine. Last Sunday it was Thanksgiving weekend and I made Chicken Biryani and Shami Kebab for our lunch. Yes, as I mentioned in my Chicken Biryani post that I cook Biryani on every Sunday but this time I wanted it to be accompanied with Shami Kebab.

Shami Kebab are small paties made from minced meat, chana dal (lentil), flavored with spices and served with chutney. The process of making these kebabs is little lengthy but trust me it's worth the effort. The hypnotic aroma of these kebabs and clean licked plates gives you a sense of contentment. 

So let's get started:

Ingredients:

1. Chicken mince: 1 lb
2. Chana Dal (lentil): 1/2 cup
3. Onion (finely chopped): 1/2 cup
4. Eggs: 1
5. Ginger: 1 inch
6. Garlic: 7-8 cloves
7. Peppercorns: 1 tbsp
8. Cloves: 5-6
9. Green Cardamoms: 3-4
10. Black Cardamoms: 2-3
11. Cinnamon: 1 (1 inch stick)
12. Bay Leaves: 2
13. Mint handful (finely chopped)
14. Cilantro handful (finely chopped)
15. Green Chilies: 3-4 (finely chopped)
16. Salt to taste
17. Oil for frying

Method:

1. Wash and soak chana dal overnight in enough water.

2. In a pressure cooker add the minced chicken with chana dal (drain water from dal), ginger, garlic, peppercorns, cloves, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaves and a cup of water.

3. Put the lid on and cook for 15-20 mins (or till you hear 2 whistles) on medium heat. Take off the lid and if there's excess water cook the mixture until the water gets evaporated.

4. Let the mixture cool down and then discard the cinnamon and bay leaves. 

5. Take a blender and give the mixture a nice blend. The mixture should be still coarse between your fingers.

6. Add onions, cilantro, mint, green chilies, salt and eggs. Give everything a nice mix with your hands.

7. Now form medium size balls from the mixture and then flatten it to give a shape of a patty.

8. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Slide in the patties one by one. Cook on both sides till they get a nice golden hue.

9. Remove the kebabs on a plate lined with paper towel to soak the excess oil.

10. Serve hot with salad or chutney.

Note:

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