Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Chicken Seekh kebab

"A kind of kebab, that is prepared with minced chicken or lamb . This is more common in Pakistani cuisine".

I tasted it in some  nearby restaurants (Shaalimar and Biryani house) and tried my best to get that taste.

Actually they make the shape of the kebab by pressing the minced meat over metal skewers and cook them in open fired and again the fire cooked kebabs are shallow fried. This is the basic procedure in one line. But it involves some techniques too. As my knowledge on these kebabs are very little, the shape didn't come out well. But recording this anyway :)

Here is the complete version to make  kebab similar to an authentic Chicken Sheekh kebab. I formulated this version by myself, by reading the food cultures and history of Afghanistan and Pakistan people. Please make a comment, if I need to improvise this recipe, as it is not my regional cuisine. Thanks!

Ingredients:
minced chicken - 1 lb
Onions - 1
green chillies - 2
lettuce -  2 leaves (optional)
cilantro - a handful
mint leaf - a handful
minced garlic - 1 tbsp
dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Puffed channa dhal (dalia) - 1 cup
(powder the puffed channa dhal)
bread slices - 2 (only if needed)
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tbsp

To powder:
dry red chilly - 2
coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Black pepper- 1/2 tsp
fennel seed, kali jeera - 1 tsp each
cloves, cardamom - 2
cinnamon - 1 inch 
cumin - 1 tsp
garam masal powder - 1 tsp (optional)

How to get minced chicken?
option 1. We can buy the minced chicken at any halal shop. Some times they may sell a variety called masala minced chicken. That will make the job easy, as we can straightly add masal powders, bread crumbs and start doing it.



This is the minced masala chicken I bought from a halal shop.

option 2.Otherwise buy the minced chicken and mix all masala powders, salt and finely minced onion , cilantro, mint, green chillies etc (except bread, oil and flour).

option 3.Buy boneless chicken pieces  (red  meat is the best for juicy kebabs) and grind it coarsely.

Method:
While the mixer / blender is dry, powder the bread. keep aside. Separately , powder the puffed channa dhal (dhalia)and keep aside.

Select boneless chicken pieces from thigh (red meat is best here). Breast is also ok, but it won't give a juicy finish.

Grind the boneless chicken meat along with red chilly powder, garam masal,spices, salt.

Finely chop the onion, chilly, cilantro, mint and mix with the minced meat.
Add ginger garlic paste to it.

Add the bread crumbs and powdered dhal to get a thick minced meat dough.(we can use the bread crumbs alone, without any dhal powder or vice versa).

Make seekh kabab by pressing the minced meat around a skewer for about 4-5 inches in length.



This is how I shaped the kebab.


Bake it at 350 deg F and 15 mins both sides.


Serving suggestions:
Serve as starter with lemon wedges, tamarind sweet chutney, raitha etc.
Goes fine as side dish with biryani.

Note:
If we cannot make a correct shape, then add more bread crumbs or dhalia powder.

I add 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or butter per lb and it won't need frying. Moreover all the oil will be evaporated while baking.
The baked ones can be cut into small pieces to make a kofta curry.
For baking : Soak the wooden skewers  in water overnight to avoid burning of the sticks.
If we cook the kebab over gas stove, then use metal skewers.
Dont try to rinse the kheema we buy from shop, as they already prepare kheema after washing and patting the extra moisture. If we wash again, it will get more watery and our koftas won't stick to sticks:)

An update:
Now I corrected my previous mistakes and prepared a good looking(!) kebab. I added more puffed channa dhal powder (pori kadalai mavu) , that made the kebab easy to handle.
Minced chicken with masala


Baked 'chicken sheekh kebab'.


Tips:
1.If there is no time to prepare puffed channa dhal powder, then dry roast a cup of channa dhal flour (besan flour/ kadalai mavu) till it turns mild red and use instead.
I microwave the besan flour for 5 minutes. If microwaving, then do it for a minute , take out stir well and then repeat till it gets a nice aroma and very mild red color.

2. Adding a cup of finely chopped lettuce and some more extra virgin olive oil will yield a very juicy kebab. Adding oil while baking is the best alternative to avoid frying the kebab.

3. Number of kababs from 1 lb  meat: One pound of chicken kheema will yield 8-10 kebabs.

25 comments:

Shama Nagarajan said...

tempting kebab

FH said...

Looks yummy. I tried to cook it once on the skewer and grilling. It kept on falling apart from the metal skewer! :D
Your's come out very well.

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks Shama.
Asha: Yes Asha. I too faced the same challenge. So I baked it instead of cooking over gas stove. But I should have increased the quantity of bread crumbs and dhal dlour to make a tight dough. Moreover, I tried to eat the baked one without shallow frying (health consciousness...hi..hi), but it was not tasty. So I shallow fried as per the correct recipe:)

Swathi said...

Viki,

Looks reallly yummy. Nice seek kebab.

Sailaja Damodaran said...

Mouth watering.........

Life is beautiful !!! said...

Very nice attempt Viki :) Can it be the kebab batter is a bit on the thinner side. A few tablespoons of corn flour might have helped in getting the shape. Just an idea though. Very nice :)

Vikis Kitchen said...

Thanks Swathi and Sailaja.
Manju: Thanks for the lovely comment dear. Yes, you are correct. The batter became thin. I should have added more flour. Also, I did baking and frying for a batch. Thanks to Xav, it just vanished in a second. Then I couldn't make a perfectly baked one. So just directly fried it in oil. Should try hard next time:) You inspire me a lot dear.

GayathriRaj said...

hey thats a nice presentation....baked kebab was a gr8 thought.... one cannot grill can easily try this out....liked it lot...it really came out well too....good work...

Vikis Kitchen said...

Gayathri: Thanks dear. Yes, I too feel it difficult to grill it. The meat tends to fall off the (metal) skewer and I think I need to practice more:) So baking and frying was easy.

Rina said...

Seekh kebab w/ micned chicken..sounds gr8..luv to taste it..

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

wonderful, yummy - just love it...

Hamaree Rasoi said...

Looks perfect to me Viki:-) Tempting kebabs....
Deepa Hamaree Rasoi

Sushma Mallya said...

mouthwatering, looks delicious viki

Niloufer Riyaz said...

I love seekh kebabs, yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy

Ash said...

yummy yummy yells my tummy!!!! Mouthwatering & luscious treat.....

Ash...
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)

Ushnish Ghosh said...

Dear Viki
How are you?
great Kebabs indeed and a perfect recipe , I must say...that puffed chana dal is not an optional item...great Kebab recipes contain this..
And I appreciate that you BBQ on a fire...no kebab is good unless grilled on fire ( mainly charcoal fire). I some times make them in an oven griller , but I dont call them kebab..I call then grilled minced meat ..ha ha
Please carry on with many Kebabs < I wish I could make some recipes for you...but it is summer time in delhi ha ha
Have a nice day and best wishes

Priya Suresh said...

Mouthwatering and tempting kebab...yet to try at home..Makes me drool Viki..

Devasena Hariharan said...

looks different ans interesting. going to try it..

Nandinis food said...

Arre wah! Although I've never tasted them once, I'm gonna go crazy! I'm dying to taste it already!

San said...

A recipe with minced chicken will always be lipsmacking no matter what.Succulent kebabs dear.

Gita Jaishankar said...

Hi Viki, thanks for the comment. These kebabs looks very delicious...I have never tried them at home yet...thanks all the step by step method.

Cham said...

May be shallow fry would be good, I guess seeing ur mixture of meat is more moist need more pottukadalai powder :) But who cares shapes when it taste good :) Nice one!

Soma Pradhan said...

Hey The Kebabs look yummy give me some

Rajeswari (Rajini) said...

yummy..mouth watering

Jaleela Kamal said...

super viki.
very yummy.

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