Shami kebabs are famous patties made with mutton keema. They are mildly spiced using common Indian spices and cooked along with split Bengal gram (channa dal). The dal and a little rice flour acts as a good binding agent. Shami kebabs are pan fried to a crisp on the outside, while the inside part remains soft and spicy.

The original recipe of shami kebab does not include cottage cheese. But I have added it in this recipe as an additional protein ingredient. The cottage cheese I have used in this recipe is homemade with half litre of full fat milk. 

You can make these delicious kebabs for a party snack or have it like a full meal in itself as the kebabs are quite wholesome and nutritious. 

Ingredients

Serves – 3

1. Mutton Keema – 200 gms

2. Split bengal gram (Channa dal) – 1/3 rd cup

3.Cottage cheese – 1/2 cup, crumbled

4. Ginger paste – 1 tbsp

5. Green chillies – 2-3, finely chopped

6. Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

7. Garam Masala powder – 1 tsp

8. Rice flour – 1 tbsp

9. Coriander leaves – 1 cup

10. Salt – 1 tsp ot to taste

11. Oil – 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp for frying

Method

1.

Soak the bengal gram (chana dal) for atleast 2 hours. This will soften the dal and make it easier to cook.

2.

Finely chop the green chillies. The ginger can be used in paste form or you may finely chop it.

3.

Wash the keema well to remove any traces of blood.

4.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Once the oil is hot, add the ginger and green chillies. Fry for a few seconds.

5.

Drain all water from the soaked channa dal and then add the dal, green chillies and ginger paste to the pressure cooker. Fry for a minute or two.

6.

Add the washed and cleaned keema and mix well. Along with the keema add – crushed black peppercorns, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix everything well and fry for a few minutes.

7.

Now add about 1/4th cup water only, close the pressure cooker and give 4-5 whistles. Allow the pressure cooker steam to settle.

8.

Now open the lid of the pressure cooker. Turn the heat on, and fry out the remaining water until the mixture is completely dry. Stir constantly otherwise the keema might stick to the bottom of the pressure cooker and burn.

Once all the water is dried out, let the keema cool down a little. 

9.

Then transfer the keema from the cooker to a grinder. Add cottage cheese and coriander leaves to the grinder as well. Blend it till it becomes a smooth thick paste.

10.

Add 1-2 tbsp of rice flour and gently knead the soft mixture. It will come together as a very soft and sticky dough.

11.

Now oil your hands and take about 1 lemon size scoop of the mixture. Make it into a ball and then flatten it with your palms to form a flat tikki. Make sure to oil your hands well and then make the tikkis otherwise the sticky dough will stick to you hands. Make all the tikkis this way and place them on a plate.

12.

Wrap the prepared tikkies with foil and refrigerate for 1-2 hours so that the tikkis set properly.

13.

Then heat 2 tbsp of oil in a non-stick pan. Place 3-4 tikkis in the pan and fry on medium heat till the bottom side gets browned well. 14. Then carefully flip the tikkis to brown the other side as well. Cook all the tikkis this way.

Serve with tomato ketchup or green chutney.