Chef Ranveer Brar traces the history of kebabs: ‘A marriage of flavours, spices, and techniques’

According to the chef, kebabs are a gift from Turkey and Russia and made their way to India via the Silk Route. “What happened next was what we do best. A marriage of flavours, spices and techniques to make this dish a ubiquitous part of our cuisine,” he added.

He further shared that mentions of kebab-style cooking of meat go as far back as the Mahabharata era. “Where the pre-Mughal kebab was more about marination and open grill cooking, basically more rustic in nature, the Mughal culinarians evolved it into a delicacy, enhancing them with spices, dry fruits and cooking techniques.”

 

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Kebabs, however, don’t just come with variations. They also come with interesting food fables, Brar said. “For instance, the Galouti or Galawat ke Kebab, a labour of love from the legendary Haji Murad Ali for the toothless Nawab, is synonymous with Lucknow’s kebab tradition, to the point of becoming a must-do on your itinerary,” he said.

Kakori kebab, on the other hand, has its own claim to fame. “Nawab Syed Mohammad Haider Kazmi’s chefs were instructed to make the seekh texture as fine as they could to counter a snide remark from a British guest. After much research and toiling, the Kakori Kebab was born. The secret to the softness being the Maliabali mangoes used to tenderise the meat,” the chef shared.

Another kebab which is always on his favourite list is the dorra, a delicate kebab from Rampur with a nearly 200-year-old recipe. According to Brar, the flavours of this kebab stand out from the use of smoked meat, rare and exquisite spices, and being cooked on a silken thread dabbed with sandalwood oil. “The trick here is to cook without burning the silk thread and gently pull it off with a single tug before serving,” he wrote, explaining that food stories are the true spice of any dish.

If these stories about your much-loved kebabs have left you salivating, here’s you can prepare seekh kebab at home, courtesy of Brar.

Ingredients

For Marination

300 gms Mutton Kheema, with fat
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
4 Green chillies (less spicy, chopped)
1 ½ tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh Mint leaves, chopped
¼ cup Processed cheese, grated
6-7 Cashewnut, chopped
4-5 Almonds, chopped
½ tbsp Degi red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Coriander seeds, roughly crushed
1 tsp Shahi jeera
3-4 Black cardamom, seeds
5-6 Black peppercorns
600 gms Mutton Kheema
2 Hard-Boiled eggs, grated

For Smoke

Coal
2-3 Cloves
1 tsp Ghee

For Seekh Kabab Masala

1 ½ tbsp Oil
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 medium size Onion, slice
1 tsp Coriander seeds, roughly crushed
½ tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
1 heaped tsp Degi red chilli powder
1/2 cup Tomato puree
Salt to taste
2-4 Green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
¼ cup Water
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients

Oil for roasting
Ghee for basting

For Garnish

Onion, rings
Fresh Mint leaves
Coriander sprig
Lemon wedges
Ginger, julienned

Method

For Marination

*In a large bowl, add half mutton keema along with fat, salt to taste, ginger garlic paste, and green chillies.
*Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, processed cheese, cashew nut, almonds, degii red chilli powder.
*Now, add coriander powder, coriander seeds, shahi jeera, crushed black cardamom, black peppercorns and mix well.
*Transfer it into a grinder jar and grind until smooth in texture.
*Now, add the remaining mutton keema, hard-boiled eggs and mix everything well.
*Now, place the smoked charcoal bowl in it and cover it for 4-5 minutes.
*Remove the charcoal and refrigerate the kheema until completely cool.

For Smoke

*Take a piece of coal and heat it up on high flame. Once it gets hot enough, place it in a steel bowl along with cloves and add a few drops of ghee in it.

For Seekh Kabab Masala

*In a shallow pan, add oil once it’s hot, add cumin seeds and let it splutter well.
*Add onion, coarsely grind coriander seeds and saute it well until light golden in colour.
*Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, and asafoetida and saute for 10-15 seconds nicely.
*Now, add ginger garlic paste and saute, once the ginger garlic paste cooks well, add degi red chilli powder and saute for a while.
*Add tomato puree and let it cook for a while, add salt to taste and saute nicely.
*Add green chilli, coriander leaves, mix well, add water and salt to taste.
*Once the masala is cooked well, switch off the flame and keep it aside for further use.
*Add prepared seekh kebabs into the masala, cover it with a lid and toss well.
*Garnish with green chutney, onion rings, ginger julienne, lemon wedge and mint sprig.

For Mutton Seekh Kebab

*First, apply water on both palms, make medium potato size balls, take an ice cream stick place it into the middle of the prepared ball and press slowly from top to bottom of the ball and make seekh kebab.
*Keep in the fridge for a while.
*Take a grilled pan or sizzler plate on high flame, and add oil once the oil gets hot, place prepared seekh kebabs and roast until nice golden brown in colour and cooked well from both sides.
*Once seekh kebabs cook well, switch off the flame and remove them from the plate.
*Serve hot with rumali roti and mint chutney.

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