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5.0 from 15 votes

The Perfect Shami Kabab Recipe

This Perfect Shami Kabab Recipe makes the most delicious beef and lentil patties that are crispy on the outside and silky on the inside!

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 (split bengal gram) (see notes)
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 small boiled potato (see notes)
  • 1½ lice bread (see notes)
  • 3 eggs
  • 5 green onions
  • 1¼ cup cilantro
  • 3 serrano chillies

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

  • Meat - Regular stew meat is perfect for this recipe.
  • Chana Daal - Chana daal is a lentil variety known most commonly as split Bengal Gram, split chickpea lentils, or yellow split peas. This can be purchased at South Asian stores, on Amazon, and occasionally at Walmart.
  • Potatoes - Yukon gold or red potatoes are best for this recipe. If you use a russet potato, use half since they are bigger than the other varieties. Mash the potato into a creamy consistency with no lumps. The purpose here is solely to bind the mixture, so you shouldn't see or taste the potato.
  • Bread - Pulse the bread in a food processor to make crumbs. These crumbs will help absorb excess moisture and act as a binding agent. If you want, you can substitute ¼ cup of breadcrumbs per slice of bread in the recipe.
  • Mix-ins - The finer the green onions, chilies, and cilantro are chopped, the better they will mix with the meat mixture. Large pieces can cause the patties to break. 
  • Cooking the kabab mixture- The trick is to ensure the meat is cooked and tender enough for the food processor to shred it to a fine silky texture. Adding 2 cups of water to the meat is more than enough since all the other ingredients will release some juices. Too much liquid can make the mixture soggy and cause the kababs to break. I usually test the meat by poking a knife through a piece of the meat to see if it breaks apart easily. At this point, I uncover the pot and dry out the excess liquid. This is key to the kababs turning out perfect! The final mixture must be completely dry! After sauteeing and drying out any residual water, leave the pot uncovered so the mixture continues to dry as it cools down.
  • Grinding the mixture - Start by grinding the beef mixture so the lentils, beef, onions, ginger, and garlic are well blended. It's best to do this in batches for perfect consistency. Prepare the breadcrumbs and mash the potatoes next. Mix them into the meat mixture and the eggs, kneading so everything gets well incorporated. The mixture will initially feel a little sticky due to the eggs, but this goes away after 10-15 minutes.
  • Making the patties - Mix in all your chopped ingredients next and refrigerate the mixture for 10-15 minutes. This will make it easier to shape the patties. I usually make 20-24 patties with this quantity of meat, the final number depending on the size of each kabab. 

Nutrition Information

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

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 24kababs

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.