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The Perfect Shami Kabab Recipe
5 from 15 votes

The Perfect Shami Kabab Recipe

The Perfect Shami Kabab combines finely ground beef and split chana daal with spices, herbs, and binding agents like mashed potato and bread crumbs. The mixture is seasoned with onion, garlic, ginger, red chili powder, and leafy herbs, then shaped into patties. After cooking, the kababs have a firm yet tender texture with layered flavors from fresh green onions, serrano chilies, and cilantro.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 24 kababs
Calories: 140 kcal
Course: Side Dish, Main Course, Snacks
Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani

Ingredients

  • 2½ lb beef cubes (see notes)
  • ⅜ cup chana daal see notes, split bengal gram
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 inch ginger piece
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 small potato see notes, boiled
  • 1½ lice bread (see notes)
  • 3 egg
  • 5 green onions
  • 1¼ cup cilantro
  • 3 serrano chili

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add the beef, chana daal, roughly diced onion, peeled and sliced ginger, garlic cloves, salt, red chilies, and 2 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil (see notes).
  2. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 45 minutes till the beef is tender.
  3. Uncover and turn on high so that all the water can evaporate.
  4. In a separate saucepan, boil the potato till it's soft enough to be mashed (see notes).
  5. Grind the slice of bread in a food processor to make bread crumbs (see notes).
  6. Beat the eggs and set them aside.
  7. Finely chop the whole green onions, the serrano chilies, and the cilantro and set aside (see notes).
  8. Peel and mash the potato till there are no lumps in it.
  9. Once the water in the beef mixture is dry, leave it uncovered and let it cool down a bit before you grind it in a food processor (see notes).
  10. Add the bread crumbs, potato, and eggs and mix everything well by hand (see notes).
  11. Add in all the chopped greens next till they're well mixed.
  12. Shape the prepared mixture into 20-24 equal-sized patties (see notes).
  13. Preheat some oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the patties till they are a nice and crisp dark brown on both sides (see notes).

Notes

  • Use regular stew meat for the beef to achieve tender kababs.
  • Chana daal (split Bengal gram) is essential; it can be found in South Asian stores or online.
  • Choose Yukon Gold or red potatoes for mashing; use half the amount if using russet potatoes.
  • Mash the potato thoroughly until smooth with no lumps to ensure proper binding.
  • Pulse bread into crumbs in a food processor to help absorb moisture; breadcrumbs can be substituted at ¼ cup per slice.
  • Chop green onions, serrano chilies, and cilantro finely to mix evenly and prevent kabab breakage.
  • Cook beef mixture until tender enough to shred easily, then dry fully by cooking off all water before grinding.
  • Mix in mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, and eggs thoroughly; mixture will feel sticky initially but firms up after resting.
  • Refrigerate the mixture 10-15 minutes before shaping to aid in forming uniform patties.
  • This recipe makes approximately 20-24 kababs depending on size.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1kabab Calories 140kcal (7%) Carbohydrates 5g (2%) Protein 18g (36%) Fat 4g (6%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g (2%) Monounsaturated Fat 2g (10%) Trans Fat 0.003g (0%) Cholesterol 69mg (23%) Sodium 392mg (16%) Potassium 359mg (8%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 135IU (3%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 28mg (3%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24 kababs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 140

% Daily Value*

Serving 1kabab
Calories 140kcal 7%
Carbohydrates 5g 2%
Protein 18g 36%
Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g 2%
Monounsaturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0.003g 0%
Cholesterol 69mg 23%
Sodium 392mg 16%
Potassium 359mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 135IU 3%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 28mg 3%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.