Here's a simple seekh kebab recipe that should hold together well in a home tandoor:
Ingredients:
- 500g ground meat (chicken, lamb, or beef)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, minced
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped (adjust to your spice preference)
- 2 tablespoons of gram flour (besan)
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of red chili powder (adjust to your spice preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1/2 cup of fresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of oil
Instructions:
1. In a bowl, combine the ground meat, chopped onion, minced garlic, minced ginger, green chilies, gram flour, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, chopped coriander leaves, chopped mint leaves, salt, and oil.
2. Mix everything together thoroughly, making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Cover the mixture and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours (overnight is even better) to allow the flavors to meld.
4. Once the marination is complete, take a small handful of the mixture and mold it onto a skewer, shaping it into a long, cylindrical seekh kebab.
5. Preheat your home tandoor or grill to medium-high heat.
6. Place the skewered seekh kebabs on the tandoor and cook them, turning occasionally, until they're nicely charred and cooked through. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
7. Serve the seekh kebabs hot with naan, mint chutney, and sliced onions.
To ensure that your seekh kebabs don't break up in the tandoor, follow these tips:
1. Proper Marination: Allow the mixture to marinate for an extended period (preferably overnight) in the refrigerator. This helps the flavors meld, and the proteins in the meat bind together, making the kebabs more cohesive.
2. Binding Agents: Use binding agents like gram flour (besan) or breadcrumbs. These ingredients help hold the mixture together, preventing the kebabs from falling apart during cooking.
3. Texture: Ensure that the ground meat isn't too finely minced. Some coarser texture in the meat helps with binding.
4. Avoid Overmixing: Mix the ingredients gently just until they are combined. Overmixing can lead to the kebabs becoming too dense and prone to breaking.
5. Skewer Technique: Carefully mold the meat mixture onto the skewers, making sure it's pressed firmly but not too tightly. Shape them into long, cylindrical kebabs.
6. Pre-soaked Skewers: Soak the skewers in water before threading the kebabs. This prevents them from burning and helps the kebabs cook evenly without breaking due to dry skewers.
7. Grill Carefully: Handle the kebabs gently while placing them on the tandoor or grill. Turn them carefully with tongs to avoid excessive handling, which can lead to breaking.
8. Medium Heat: Cooking the kebabs over a slightly lower heat allows them to cook through without burning the exterior. These can be done by placing skewers further from the tandoor walls where the heat is emanating from.
