Shami Kabab (Shami Kebab)

Make delicious Shami Kabab that are crisp on the outside, succulent and tender inside. This recipe for shami kebab is easily adaptable and can be made with lamb, goat or chicken. The best part is you can shallow fry, pan-fry, air fry or even oven bake them for a healthier option.

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What is Shami Kabab?

Shami Kabab are a kind of kebab patties made with meat, chana dal (gram dal), aromatic whole spices and herbs. While traditionally mutton (lamb/goat meat) is used, you can also make these with chicken for a low fat option.

Shami kebab are a common street food across Indian sub-continent. In India they are usually served with a Mint chutney or green chutney, sliced raw onions and lemon juice. But they are great to serve with Pulao, Biryani or any kind of flavored rice. Or simply roll them in flatbreads with a dash of Greek yogurt, chutney and onions to make delicious rolls.

It is believed that Shami kababs originated from the cooks, who migrated from Syria to cook for the Mughals in South Asia. The term shami may refer to Syria, so the name. Unlike many other traditional kebabs these are not cooked on direct fire but are shallow fried or deep fried.

In this post I share the recipe with chicken but if you want to use lamb/ goat, read my pro tips section.

Ingredients & Substitutes

• Meat: Use bone-in chicken, lamb or goat for full-flavored kababs. The goodness of marrow from the bones adds more flavor, keeps the meat tender and the texture of your kebabs is fabulous.
• Lentils: Chana dal also known as gram dal is skinned split chickpeas. Apart from acting as a binding ingredient these lentils add improve the flavor and impart a mouth melting texture to your shami kababs.
• Egg: Egg helps to bind and also adds some fat to the kabab mixture. It prevents your shami kabab from drying out.
• Fresh spices and herbs like ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and mint add so much aroma to your kebabs
• Dried Whole spices like cinnamon, green cardamoms and dried red chilies are used for an extra flavor.
• Ground Spices: I use garam masala or biryani masala in this recipe. If you have nihari masala you may use that instead.

More kabab recipes
Chicken tikka kebab
Chicken kebabs
Malai kabab
Hara bhara kabab
Dahi kabab

Photo Guide

How to make Shami Kabab (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Wash ⅓ cup (75 grams) chana dal a few times and soak it for about 2 to 3 hours in ample amount of water. Later drain the water completely and add it to a pot or Dutch oven. Add the following ingredients:

• 1 inch ginger peeled and sliced
• 3 large garlic cloves sliced
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder or chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• 1½ inch piece of cinnamon
• 2 to 3 green cardamoms / elaichi
• 2 dried red chilies (use more if you want)
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin or roasted ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala or biryani masala (more if you want)

2. Add 450 grams (1 lb.) chicken or mutton (boneless, or use more bone-in) and pour ½ cup water if using chicken or 2½ cups water if using mutton

3. Cover partially and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook until the meat and lentils both are completely soft. If the pot dries out, add more hot water (in small batches) as you cook.

4. Open the lid and cook to evaporate any excess liquid. Cool this completely and remove the whole spices and bones if any.

Make Shami Kebab

5. Transfer this to a food processor or a onion chopper.

6. Process to a slightly coarse mixture. If you want super soft patties, process longer until it becomes a fine paste.

7. Next add 1 fine chopped green chili, 1 small fine chopped onion, 2 tbsps fine chopped mint leaves & 2 to 3 tbsps coriander leaves fine chopped. Mix and taste to adjust salt and heat levels.

8. Break an egg to a small bowl and whisk it well. Add small amounts of egg and bring the mixture together to form non-sticky dough.

9. It should look as seen in the picture below.

10. Divide the mixture to 8 to 10 equal parts and roll to balls. Flatten and shape them to patties. You can freeze these at this stage.

Fry Shami Kabab

11. Break an egg to a wide bowl and whisk well. You can shallow fry, pan-fry, air fry or oven bake these. I have given the instructions below:

12. To Air Fry: Grease/spray your air fryer basket or use a air fryer parchment liner and preheat it. Dip the kebabs in egg mixture and lift up with a fork. Place them on basket/ parchment. Air fry the kebabs for 8 to 10 mins at 370 F/ 185 C, until crisp.

Bake in Oven: Place the egg washed shami kabab on a prepared tray (with parchment) and bake at 400 F – 200 C for 14 to 16 mins, turning them halfway.

13. Frying: Heat oil for shallow frying or pan frying in a pan. When the oil turns hot enough, dip one shami kebab each time in the egg mixture and lift it with a fork. Gently shake off the excess egg mixture to avoid the oil turning messy & frothy. Gently slide these in the hot oil. Fry on a medium heat until golden, turning to and fro as needed. When they are golden fried, transfer the shami kababs to a absorbent tissues or a wired rack.

Serve chicken shami kabab hot with mint chutney or kabab chutney.

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Recipe Card

Shami Kabab (Shami Kebab)

5 from 81 votes

Shami kabab are a popular street food appetizer from the Indian Sub-continent. These are made with mutton/chicken, bengal gram, spices and herbs. Serve them with mint chutney or roll them in naan/tandoori roti or serve them as patties in burgers.

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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes minutes

Cook Time40 minutes minutes

Total Time50 minutes minutes

Servings8 to 10 kebabs

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

• ▢ 450 grams (1 lb.) chicken or mutton (boneless, or use more bone-in)
• ▢ ⅓ cup (75 grams) chana dal (Bengal gram lentils)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon red chili powder or chili flakes
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 1½ inch cinnamon stick / dalchini
• ▢ 2 to 3 green cardamoms / elaichi
• ▢ 2 dried red chilies (use more if you want)
• ▢ 1 inch ginger peeled and sliced
• ▢ 3 large garlic cloves sliced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon roasted cumin or roasted ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala or biryani masala (more if you want)
• ▢ Water as needed (½ cup if using chicken, 2½ cups for mutton )
• ▢ Salt as needed
• ▢ 1 small onion finely chopped
• ▢ 2 eggs (divided)
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves fine chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mint leaves / pudina fine chopped – optional
• ▢ 1 green chili chopped – optional
• ▢ Oil as needed to fry

Instructions

Preparation

• ▢
  Wash and soak chana dal for about 2 to 3 hours. Drain the water and add them to a large pot/ Dutch oven along water.
• ▢
  Add ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, red chili powder, whole red chilies, garam masala, cumin, cinnamon stick, green cardamoms and meat.
• ▢
  Bring this to a gentle boil, Cover the pot partially and cook until lentils and the meat is completely tender. Add more hot water, only as required as you cook.
• ▢
  Once the meat and lentils are tender, evaporate the excess water completely.
• ▢
  Cool this completely and discard the whole spices and bones (if any).

How to Make Shami Kabab

• ▢
  Add this to a food processor or an onion chopper and grind to a slightly coarse mixture.
• ▢
  Add green chilies, onions, mint and coriander leaves. Taste this and adjust salt and heat levels to your preference.
• ▢
  Break an egg to a bowl and whisk with a fork to a uniform mixture. Add it to the mixture in batches and mix well to form a non-sticky dough.
• ▢
  Divide to 10 equal parts and shape them to balls. Flatten them on your palm, to shape like kebab/patty. Transfer to a tray. You can also freeze these at this stage.

Fry Shami Kebab

• ▢
  Stovetop: Heat oil for shallow frying or pan frying in a wide skillet. Dip one kebab each time in the egg and lift it with a fork.
• ▢
  Gently shake off the excess egg and gently place these in the hot oil. Fry on a medium heat until golden, turn them to the other side & fry until crisp. Transfer to a wired rack or to absorbent tissues.
• ▢
  Air Fryer: Grease your air fryer basket and preheat it. Air fry the kebabs for 8 to 10 mins at 370 F/ 185 C, until crisp.
• ▢
  Bake in Oven: Place the egg washed shami kabab on a prepared tray (with parchment) and bake at 400 F – 200 C for 14 to 16 mins, turning them halfway.
• ▢
  Serve chicken shami kabab hot with mint chutney.

Notes

• Add water in batches only as required. First time use room temperature water, later use hot water.
• I like using garam masala while making chicken shami kebabs and for mutton I use biryani masala.

Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts

Shami Kabab (Shami Kebab)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 154 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 73mg3%

Potassium 239mg7%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 305IU6%

Vitamin C 12.1mg15%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 1.7mg9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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