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Pan-Fried Shami Kebab (with Keema and Chana Dal)

Tanvi Srivastava
Shami Kebab are pan-fried meat (mutton, lamb or beef) patties belonging to the cuisine of indian subcontinent. These kebabs are made with meat or chicken, chana lentils & spices. Great for serving as an appetizer or side dish. They are freezer friendly and great for meal prep!
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Appetizer, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 22 kebab
Calories 139 kcal

Ingredients
  

To Cook Meat and Lentils

  • 1 lb(~454g) ground lamb 80/20, use high fat or full fat mince meat
  • ¾ cup (~154g) chana dal bengal gram lentils , substitute with split yellow peas lentils (matar dal)
  • 1 large (145g) red onion roughly chopped
  • 20 g garlic roughly chopped
  • 10 g ginger roughly chopped
  • 1.25 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
  • ½ cup oil for pan frying (approximately)

Whole Spices

  • 8 kashmiri dried red chilies substitute with red chili flakes
  • 20 black peppercorn
  • 6 cloves
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 black cardamom
  • 1.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 twig mace skip if not available

To Make the Shami Kebab Mixture

  • 120 g red onion finely chopped
  • 1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
  • 6 indian green chili (hot), adjust to taste
  • ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
  • ¼ cup mint finely chopped
  • 12-15 golden raisins optional,

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Take out the minced meat from the refrigerator 30-45 minutes prior to cooking. 
  • Wash the chana lentils 2-3 times under running water. Cover with water and soak for a maximum of 20-25 minutes. 
  • Peel the onions, roughly chop them. Peel ginger and garlic and chop roughly. 
  • Add black peppercorns and cloves to a mortar and pestle. Add 2-3 garlic cloves and pound. Make sure that each black peppercorn and clove is broken. Both these spices are a nuisance and chances are that they will otherwise remain whole even after cooking. 
  • Finely chop the onion, ginger, green chili, cilantro & mint leaves to be added to the ground kebab mixture.
  • Soak the raisins(if using) in hot water for 8-10 minutes. Squeeze and keep ready. You could chop the raisins if you wish.

Cook the Meat, lentils and whole spices

  • Add the lamb mince to pressure cooker. Add the drained soaked lentils along with all the whole spices. Also add the onions, ginger, garlic along with the pounded spices. Sprinkle salt. Add 1 to 1.25 cup water. Or add all the ingredients to steel insert of IP.
  • Using a wooden spoon, break the meat and mix together everything as much as you can. 
  • At first keep the stove on medium, once you hear the first whistle, reduce the flame to low and let pressure cook for 15-18 minutes on low medium heat for 6-8 whistles. For IP, set it on high pressure and pressure cook for 10-12 minutes. Release pressure naturally. 

Grind the Kebab Mixture

  • Check the meat and lentils for doneness. The lentils will hold shape but they would be completely soft and you would be able to mush them between thumb and fingers. (see image in post).Cook off the moisture by placing the pressure cooker on the stove (without closing the lid).
  • Let the mixture cool down a bit (but don't let it get cold). Take out the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and black cardamom pods.Discard 
  • Transfer the warm mixture to a food processor jar fitted with metal blade. Process the meat for good 2-4 minutes until it resembles a smooth paste. Using a spatula, transfer the ground kebab mixture to a large bowl.

Make the Kebab Mixture

  • Add finely chopped onions, ginger, green herbs etc along with raisins to the ground kebab mixture. Using spatula at first, mix everything together. Taste and adjust salt. Taste and add more finely chopped green chillies if you want it more spicy. 
  • With gentle hands, knead the kebab mixture similar to how we knead dough. Dont squish else the onions and herbs will start releasing water. Refrigerate and rest the kebab mixture for 30-40 minutes. Take a break! If you want, you can refrigerate overnight for best flavors and ease of shaping.

Shape The Shami Kebab

  • Divide the kebab mixture into portions. You could make them as large or small as you wish. I make them small(about 40-50g). For uniformity, measure out and weigh the portions using a food scale. 
  • If needed, very lightly oil your hands. Take each portion and roll into a smooth ball. Flatten lightly on the palm to resemble a patty. Dont press too much. Don't make thin patties (else they will break). 

Pan Fry The Kebab

  • To pan fry, use a heavy pan (tawa/griddle used for making rotis or a cast iron tawa). You could use non-stick frying pan too. Place the pan on low medium heat and let heat up. 
    Tip- The temperature of pan plays a huge role in making sure that the shami kebab dont break. The tawa should not be too hot or too cold. To check the temperature of the pan, sprinkle some water on it, the water should steam immediately (the water should not sizzle or dance on the pan, that means that the pan is too hot). 
  • Once the tawa is hot, add 2-3 drops of oil on the tawa and rub around. Dont add too much oil in the beginning else the kebabs start spreading.
  •  Place a few kebabs on the hot pan (without over crowding)keeping in mind that you have ample space around to flip them later without touching other kebabs.
  •  On medium heat, let the shami kebab fry. You have to allow a golden brown crust to form but the inside should remain soft. Once the kebab looks set, you may add 1-2 drops of oil all around it. 
  • Using a flat large spatula (preferable sturdy metal) carefully flip the kebab and fry on other side until crust is formed. Right now the kebab is super soft, you will have to be careful. 
  • Once the kebabs are fried on both sides, switch off the stove and let the kebabs stand on it for 4-5 minutes to set. Remove using a spatula. Serve with green chutney, onion slices, and lemon wedges. 

Notes

  • Don't use cold meat or frozen meat. Frozen meat makes the kebab mixture too watery, definitely avoid.
  • Keep in mind to not mix the kebab mixture as soon as you open the lid of the pressure cooker. The meat and lentils are very soft right now and they will get mushy.
  • If after pressure cooking you notice water at the bottom, cook off the moisture by placing the cooker on a low stove. Again keep an eye and dont mix the mixture. This also prevents the kebab mixture from getting wet.
  • Use a flat pan/tawa to pan fry the kebabs. I would avoid skillets because the edges make it difficult to flip the kebabs.
  • Dont use a lot of oil while pan frying, makes them spread and greasy. These kebabs have high fat content and you need less oil to cook them. 
  • When I have to pan fry a large quantity of shami kebab, I do so simultaneously on 2 pans. To give you an idea, on my 10 inch roti tawa, I place not more than 6-7 kebab at a time.
  • Read the blog post FAQ section about trouble shooting tips on how to fix wet or dry kebab mixture. 
Shami Kebab with Meat Chunks
You could use the same recipe for making shami kebab with meat boti (chunks). Use boneless lamb leg and ask your butcher to cut the boti small- that way it gets cooked faster.
For cooking the boti, you will need to add water for pressure cooking (add 1 cup water).  After pressure cooking, cook off the excess water once the meat and lentils have cooked.
How To Make Chicken Shami Kabab
  • You may use the same recipe with chicken.Use a combination of chicken thighs & chicken breast. If you see bit of fat on the chicken thighs, dont remove it, it will add a lot of flavor to the shami kebabs. I like to pulse the chicken in a food processor to small pieces and then pressure cook as usual with dal and spices etc. 
  • Use 1 cup chana dal. Chicken meat needs extra binding because it is low in fat.
  • Rest of the recipe remains the same.
Storage
Shami kebab mixture stays good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. You could shape the kebab and store in an airtight container(great for meal prep)
How To Freeze Shami Kebab
Line a large cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper (dont use aluminum foil). Shape the shami kebabs. Layer them in a single layer on the wax paper. Cover with a plastic cling film and set in the freezer for 4-6 hours. When the kebabs are frozen, remove and store them in large ziploc bag for 1-2 months.
To cook frozen shami kebab, take them out 45 minutes to 1 hour before pan frying. Dont let thaw completely, they will break.
Pan fry as outlined above or in recipe card.
Serving Suggestions
  • Appetizer or Snack - Serve with green chutney, yogurt, sliced onion, lemon wedges.
  • Side dish- I love to serve these as a side dish with yakhni pulao or egg pulao.
  • Make Wraps- Using parathas or any flatbread of choice , pickled onions, chaat masala.
  • Make kebab burgers or sliders- Add them in between toasted buns with lettuce, tomatoes, green chutney and a sprinkle of chaat masala. Yum!

Nutrition

Calories: 139kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 5gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 146mgPotassium: 75mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 49IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Keyword ground meat shami kebab, homemade shami kabab, keema shami kebab, lamb shami kebab, shami kebab, traditional shami kebab recipe
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