Dhaga Kabab
A home-style recipe for Dhaga Kabab. Makes 10 kababs, ready in about 50 minutes.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil, plus more for brushing
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 500 g beef or mutton mince (qeema), minced twice until very fine
- 3 tbsp thick yogurt, hung in a cloth for 10 minutes to drain
- 1 tbsp raw papaya paste
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg and mace (jaifal javitri) (optional)
- Clean white cotton thread
Missing something?
- No mince (qeema)? Use finely chopped chicken or soya granules.
- No onion? Use spring onions, or a little onion powder (less depth).
- No yogurt? Use milk with 1 tsp lemon juice, rested 10 minutes.
Method
- Heat the oil and fry the onion on medium heat for 8–10 minutes, until deep brown. Lift it out, leaving the oil, and crush it when cool.
- Mix the qeema with the fried onion, yogurt, papaya, ginger-garlic paste, salt, spices and 1 tbsp of the frying oil. Knead for 5 minutes, until very smooth and sticky. If you can, chill it for 30 minutes; this makes shaping easier and isn't included in the time.
- With wet hands, press a handful around a thick skewer into a long kabab about 15 cm long. Wind cotton thread round it from end to end, so it holds its shape. Repeat with the rest.
- Grill over medium coals for 12–15 minutes, turning and brushing with oil, until browned and cooked through.
- No grill? Shape the kababs without skewers, wind the thread round them and cook them in 3 tbsp of the onion oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, turning gently.
- Pull off the thread before serving.
Tip: The thread is what keeps the soft mince on the skewer; use plain white cotton, never nylon. For a smoky taste in a pan, put a hot piece of charcoal in a small foil cup among the kababs, add a drop of oil to it and cover for 2 minutes.