A cooked-then-fried kebab
Soft, spiced patties of beef and chana dal cooked together until dry, ground smooth, then shallow-fried in egg until golden.
Unlike seekh or chapli kebabs, a shami kebab is cooked twice. The meat and dal are simmered first until fully cooked and dry, then ground and fried, so the frying only needs to brown the outside.
What is shami kebab?
Shami kebab is a soft, smooth patty of meat ground together with chana dal and whole spices, bound with egg and shallow-fried. It came into Pakistani home cooking through the Mughlai and Awadhi traditions of North India and is now made across the country, for guests, for Ramadan iftar and in bulk for the freezer. In Karachi, a shami-style patty is the filling of the bun kebab, the city’s best-known street sandwich.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Use a lean, boneless cut such as beef chuck or topside; fat makes the patties greasy and harder to bind. Chana dal is what gives shami its soft, almost fluffy texture, so do not leave it out. Grinding while the mixture is still slightly warm is easier, but let it cool before adding the raw egg.
Common mistakes
The commonest failure is a wet mixture. If any liquid remains in the pot after simmering, the kebabs crack and fall apart in the pan; keep cooking until the mixture is completely dry. The second is grinding too coarsely, which leaves visible strands of meat and a crumbly patty.
What to serve with it
Serve hot with green chutney, lemon and sliced onion, alongside daal and rice, as part of an iftar spread, or in a soft bun with a fried egg, chutney and onion to make a bun kebab.
Storage and reheating
Shaped, uncooked patties freeze very well. Freeze them on a tray, then bag them, and fry from frozen (dipped in beaten egg) over medium-low heat for a few minutes longer. Fried kebabs keep for two days in the fridge; reheat in a pan.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my shami kebabs break in the pan?
The mixture was too wet. After the meat and dal are cooked, keep stirring over the heat until every drop of liquid has evaporated, and let the mixture cool before adding the egg.
Can I make shami kebab with chicken or mutton?
Yes. Boneless chicken cooks in about 25 minutes and mutton in about an hour; follow the same method and cook until the pot is completely dry.
What is the difference between shami and seekh kebab?
Shami kebab is made from meat and lentils that are cooked first, ground and then shallow-fried as patties. Seekh kebab is raw spiced mince shaped on skewers and grilled.
