Seekh Kabab

also called seekh kebab · sheekh kabab · seekh kebabs · lamb seekh · shami's cousin

The table

2 lb(900 g; 20% fat, ground twice)ground lambknead 5 min, until it turns tacky and pulls at the bowlchill 1 hrpress onto flat skewers in a long sleevegrill 10 min, turning by the handle
1 medium(grated and wrung dry in a cloth)yellow onion
2 Tbs(34 g)ginger-garlic paste
2(chopped fine)green chiles
1/4 cup(chopped)cilantro
2 Tbs(chopped)mint
2 tspgaram masala
2 Tbs(20 g)roasted gram flour
2 tspkosher salt
2 Tbs(28 g)melted ghee
Flat skewers not round: a round one turns and the meat stays where it was. The wrung-out onion matters as much — grated onion carries a lot of water water is what makes a kabab collapse into the fire. Roasted gram flour is the binder a curry house uses and there is no egg in it. Off the skewer and into a naan with kachumber and mint chutney is the way these are actually eaten
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.12 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1knead 5 min, until it turns tacky and pulls at the bowl

4grill 10 min, turning by the handle

goes in with what step 3 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 1 hr 15 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
15 minof the steps that give a time

One of the 4 steps never says how long it takes, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 1 hr 45 min.

  1. knead 5 min, until it turns tacky and pulls at the bowl

    5 minneeds youfrom the start

  2. chill 1 hr

    1 hrwalk away5 min in

  3. press onto flat skewers in a long sleeve

    not timed1 hr 5 min in

  4. grill 10 min, turning by the handle

    10 minneeds you1 hr 5 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.

You'll need bowl · skewers

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Seekh Kabab
>> category: Smoked & Grilled
>> tags: lamb, indian, minced, grill, starter
>> counters: Curry House
>> aka: seekh kebab, sheekh kabab, seekh kebabs, lamb seekh, shami's cousin
>> pairs-with: mint-chutney, kachumber, naan
>> servings: 6
>> time: 1 hr 45 min
>> step.1: knead 5 min, until it turns tacky and pulls at the bowl
>> step.2: chill 1 hr
>> step.3: press onto flat skewers in a long sleeve
>> step.4: grill 10 min, turning by the handle

Knead @ground lamb{2%lb}(900 g; 20% fat, ground twice), @yellow onion{1%medium}(grated and wrung dry in a cloth), @ginger-garlic paste{2%Tbs}(34 g), @green chiles{2}(chopped fine), @cilantro{1/4%cup}(chopped), @mint{2%Tbs}(chopped), @garam masala{2%tsp}, @roasted gram flour{2%Tbs}(20 g) and @kosher salt{2%tsp} in a #bowl{} ~knead{5%min}, pushing it against the side with the heel of your hand until it turns tacky and starts pulling back at you.

Chill @&(~1)kabab mixture{} ~chill{1%hr}. Cold fat and worked protein are the two things holding this on the skewer, and it will slide off the moment either is missing.

Press @&(~1)chilled mixture{} onto flat metal #skewers{} in a wet hand, working from the middle out into a sleeve as long as your palm and no thicker than a thumb, then rake it lengthways with your fingers.

Grill @&(~1)skewers{} over hard charcoal ~grill{10%min}, turning them by the handle every two minutes and basting with @melted ghee{2%Tbs}(28 g), until the ridges are dark and the fat is dropping.

Flat skewers, not round: a round one turns and the meat stays where it was. The wrung-out onion matters as much — grated onion carries a lot of water, and water is what makes a kabab collapse into the fire. Roasted gram flour is the binder a curry house uses and there is no egg in it. Off the skewer and into a naan with kachumber and mint chutney is the way these are actually eaten.