Kebabs in India are sometimes made with already cooked meat instead of raw—strange, given that you don’t necessarily need to cook meat twice. This said, cooking the meat before grinding it and grilling it makes for a different texture, and these kebabs are quite delicious, and typical of Hyderabadi cuisine, so they’re definitely worth the trouble to make.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds
• 1–inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
• 2 green chilies, thinly sliced
• 3 medium-hot dried chilies
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons chana dal (yellow split peas)
• 9 ounces (250 g) lean ground lamb
• 1 tablespoon yogurt
• Leaves from 2 sprigs mint, finely chopped
• Sea salt
• 2 small shallots (1½ ounces/45 g total), halved and cut into wedges
• A few sprigs cilantro, most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
• 1 organic egg, beaten with a pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a medium pot over medium heat until hot. Add the black cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Stir until fragrant. Add the dried chilies and turmeric. Stir for another minute or so. Add the chana dal and sauté for a minute or so. Add the lamb, yogurt, mint, and salt to taste. Cook and stir to break up any lumps until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup (250 ml) water and let bubble for 30 minutes or until the water is completely absorbed and the chana dal is very soft. Adjust the salt if necessary.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in another skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Transfer the cooked meat mixture to a food processor. Process with the fried shallots until you have a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl. Add the cilantro and half the beaten egg. Mix with your hand and check if the mixture can be easily shaped. If it is still a little stiff, add a little more egg. Once you have the right consistency, shape the mixture into 8 medium patties or into 8 fat fingers.
4. Wipe the skillet in which you fried the shallots and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons ghee over medium heat. When the ghee is hot, add the meat patties or fingers and fry until browned on all sides.
5. Serve hot.