Bombay Ground Lamb Kebabs
There is no photo for this recipe - sorry! So we’re sharing this photo we love of Floyd with his sons Peter (left) and Justin (right). Photo by the talented Lauren Volo.
Excerpted from Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2016.
From Floyd:
The Indian seekh kebab, a delicious and aromatic caseless lamb “sausage” cooked on long skewers, is a very popular street food in Bombay and Old Delhi. This recipe will bring those flavors and aromas into your home, even if it doesn’t come with the fun and noise of the streets.
Eat these just as is with the onion topping, or use them as the filling for a wrap or sandwich. If you do that, stuff it generously with a hearty spoonful or two of the onions, lots of crisp romaine leaves, and a cucumber and yogurt sauce. The only caveat is that the kebabs are best eaten as soon as possible; they are not so good if they start to dry out. Note that you do need a meat grinder to make these.
As for the onions, when I’m making this for kids, I use a sweet onion such as Vidalia, because kids don’t tend to appreciate spicy onions. When it’s for adults, I use something stronger, like a yellow onion. Soaking the onions in cold water before tossing them with salt and pepper mellows their flavor and keeps them crispy; you can soak them for anywhere from 30 minutes to 6 hours. But when I’m making these onions just for me, I don’t soak them, because I like their spicy flavor, so I prepare them right before cooking the patties.
SERVES: 6
COOKING TIME: About 45 minutes / Inactive Time: 30 minutes to 6 hours if soaking the onions and 1 to 4 hours for chilling the kebab mixture
INGREDIENTS:
1 sweet or yellow onion (see headnote), thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons black peppercorns
2 black cardamom pods
3 green cardamom pods
1½ pounds/680 grams boneless leg
of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 serrano chile, chopped
1½ cups washed and dried cilantro leaves with tender stems, coarsely chopped
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for the onions
¼ cup canola oil, or as needed for grilling
Freshly ground black pepper
Lime wedges for serving
DIRECTIONS:
If soaking the onions, place them in a medium bowl and add cold water to cover by several inches. Set aside in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours.
Finely grind the peppercorns in a spice/coffee grinder. Transfer to a large bowl. Finely grind the black and green cardamom pods together. Transfer to the bowl with the pepper and stir to combine.
Add to the bowl, the lamb, red onion, chile, cilantro, ginger, garlic, and salt and use your hands to combine thoroughly.
Set up a meat grinder with the fine die. Push the mixture through the grinder into a clean bowl. Chill the mixture until cold, at least 1 hour, and up to 4 hours.
When ready to cook, form a small piece of the meat mixture into a small disk and microwave it for a few seconds so that you can taste for seasoning. Add salt to the mixture as necessary. Form the mixture into 6 large to 12 small patties.
Prepare a medium-hot grill or heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat.
Oil the grill grate or add the 1⁄4 cup oil to the skillet and heat until it shimmers. Cook the patties until just a little pink on the inside, about 4 minutes per side for small patties and 6 minutes per side for large patties.
Meanwhile, drain the onions thoroughly if you soaked them. Add salt and pepper to taste to the onions and toss to combine.
Serve the kebabs with lime wedges and the onions.
