CHICKEN SHAMI KEBAB

 Hope all of you are enjoying warmer weather. I sure am. With warmer weather, comes all the weekends of grilling . And I shall always remain partial to my love for Kebabs. Its no secret, that we try and whip up some Kebabs, on Friday nights. Shami Kebab is a favorite at our household. While its usually shallow fried, but we have seen , that it does great on the grill too. In case, you were looking for some fresh Kebab ideas, I decided to try out an even different version of Shami Kebab.

What exactly is Shami Kebab? Its originally made with minced lamb/goat meat, marinated with onion-ginger garlic paste, paprika, cumin powder, coriander powder, chopped mint . What lends shami kebabs their signature taste is a paste of yellow lentil, which is kneaded with the meat. This unusual binder, is one of the most important parts of shami kebab. And we also add in an egg too.

I had picked up some organic ground chicken breast and thighs. And thought of  making a batch of Shami Kebabs, by replacing the ground lamb with ground chicken. The result was a much leaner version of the kebab, but we loved it. And Chicken Shami Kebab joined the roster of Kebabs for Friday nights. As I had earlier mentioned that , this kebab grills pretty well, so you can make it even healthier.

There are many Shami Kebab recipes all across the Internet, which cooks the minced lamb/goat, before they are formed into kebabs. The yellow lentils are also partially cooked. Thats not how I do it. I marinated the ground Chicken which I had picked up from Target, and marinated it, over night. I soaked 1/4 cup of yellow lentils also overnight. The next afternoon, I drained and washed the lentils, and blended into a thick paste. I like to keep the meat to lentil ratio 3: 1. Feel free to add in chopped green Thai Chilies, if heat is what you prefer. Season the mixture with salt. And you are ready to roll.

I will usually add the paprika and chopped green chillies later, as I like to make a few non spicier kebabs for my daughter.

It pairs very well with either Naan, or if you are indulgent like me, Biriyani. If you want to know how I make my Goat Biriyani, then click HERE.

CHICKEN SHAMI KEBAB : 

Ingredients: 
Ground Chicken : 1 lb
Yellow Lentils( Toor Daal/Arhar Daal) : 1/4 cup
Fennel Powder: 1 tsp
Paprika: 1 tsp
Ginger - Garlic - Onion Paste : 4 to 5 tbsp
Egg : 1
Mint : Chopped : 3 tbsp
Cumin Powder: 1 tsp
Coriander Powder : tsp
Green Chilies : Chopped (according to heat preferences)
Salt : to taste
Canola Oil : for shallow frying

Procedure : 

Marinate the ground chicken with the dry spices overnight.
Soak the lentils overnight

The next day, wash and drain the lentils and grind them to a fine paste. Use as less water as you need.

Add chopped mint, chillies to your marinated meat and season with salt.

Use the lentil paste and an egg as a binder.

Shape the meat mixture into small patties.

Shallow fry till golden brown on both sides.

If you are grilling, then grill on a low flame, and slow cook.

Bon Appetit ! Enjoy !