Seekh Kebab

Method

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1. Squeeze the grated onion in a cloth until it is genuinely dry — its water is the main reason kebabs fall apart.

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2. Put the mince, chopped fat, onion, ginger-garlic paste, chillies, papaya paste, gram flour, herbs, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl.

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3. Knead hard with your hands for 6 to 8 minutes, pressing and folding, until the mixture is smooth, sticky and holds together in a single mass.

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4. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to 4.

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5. Oil your hands and flat metal skewers. Take a handful of mixture and press it around a skewer, working from the middle outwards into a sausage about 20 cm long and 3 cm thick.

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6. Squeeze gently along its length to create shallow ridges, which help it grip the skewer.

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7. Chill the loaded skewers 20 minutes.

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8. Cook over hot coals or under a very hot grill for 4 minutes, then turn and cook 4 minutes more, basting once with oil or butter, until charred outside and just cooked through.

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9. Rest 3 minutes, slide off the skewers, and serve with naan, chutney, onion and lemon.

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Chef’s Tips

• Knead until it is one sticky mass. Stirring will not do it.
• Squeeze the onion completely dry.
• Flat skewers and cold mixture. Round skewers let it spin and drop.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Mint and coriander chutney
• Naan and sliced onion
• A cold lassi

Storage & Reheating

The raw mixture keeps 2 days refrigerated. Shaped skewers freeze 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.