Shami kabab is a very popular kebab in Indian and Pakistani households. It is prepared with meat, lentils and spices. It is very soft in texture and so flavourful. Shami kabab is a great option for frozen food; you can use them whenever you want.

Table of contents:

1. About the Recipe

2. Ingredients

3. Step-by-step method

4 . Tips

Serving Suggestions: 5

Preparation time:  30 minutes

Cooking   time:  5 to 7 minutes 

 1 . About the recipe:

Shami kabab is a Syrian dish, and in India, it has become one of the favourite dishes of Mughal cuisine. This kabab can be made with chicken, lamb/ mutton, chickpeas or jackfruit. Today I am sharing the chicken version of this dish with you. Shami kabab is a soft, tender, round patty. It is prepared in three important steps.

First, cooking meat and lentils, then mincing and later frying. So, whenever you want to have it, you will just have to take it out from the refrigerator and shallow fry it! It’s a great evening snack or starter. You can store this in the refrigerator for a month, and its taste remains the same for a long time. 

2. Ingredients:

        For Boiling 

• 500 gm boneless chicken
• 100gm chana dal ( yellow split peas lentils)
•  2 tablespoons of ginger garlic paste
•  2 bay leaves
•  1 cinnamon stick
•  2 black cardamom
•   5 to 6 whole dry red chilli ( you can add or less according to your preference)
•  10 to 15 black pepper
•   2 tablespoons of cumin seeds
•   1 tablespoon of coriander seeds
•   1 large potato cut into a two-piece
•   Salt 

        For Mincing 

•  Egg
• Coriander leaves
• Mint leaves
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 4 chopped green chillies 

       For Frying

• Oil
• Egg

     3.  Step by Step method :

•  In this recipe, I am using boneless chicken, (you can make this using chicken with bone also, but you have to separate meat from the bones after the boiling process.)
• Soaked yellow lentils for 30 minutes in water.
• In a pressure cooker or deep bottom pan, put all the boneless chicken pieces, lentils, ginger garlic paste, all the spices and potato. Add 300ml of water and salt.

• Cook on a high flame. After the first whistle, lower the flame and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Let it cool for some time, and remove bay leaves and cinnamon from the dish. In a grinder, put all the boiled ingredients and one egg. Add chopped coriander, mint, and green chilli to the mixture.

• Grind them into a fine paste.

• Add lemon juice also. Taste the mixture; you can add salt, chilli or lemon juice at this stage.
• Mix well, using your hands.
• Apply oil on your both palm and make small rounded patties. You can make any desired shape and size of the kebab. It’s totally up to you. Applying oil on the palm will prevent the sticking of the mixture. (At this stage, Shami kabab is ready for refrigeration).

•  Layer them on a tray and set them in a fridge for 30 minutes. 

• In a plate or bowl, whisk egg and dip these kebabs. 

• Shallow fry them on a hot pan for a few minutes until they turn golden brown.

•  Serve these kebabs hot with green chutney, ketchup or any dip of your choice.

    4 . Tips :

• Soaked yellow split peas and lentils before cooking. Soaking will give a nice texture to the kebabs.
• If your mixture is too wet, add breadcrumbs to the mixture.
• Adding potato will give a nice texture to the kebabs.
• If you want to air fry them after dipping them in egg, place the kebab in the air fryer, apply little oil, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side in the air fryer.
•  For storage, after shaping the kebab, place the kebab on a tray and freeze them for 30 minutes. Afterwards, carefully transfer them to an airtight box or zip pouch.
• Shami kabab is very good to serve along with biryani or pulao.
• You can use it in a Paratha roll or in a burger patty with a variety of chutneys.