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Kakori kebab
Minced mutton skewers
کاکوری کباب: melt-in-the-mouth minced-mutton skewers with raw papaya, khoya and rose-scented spices, grilled over charcoal (plus 2 hours chilling)
The village of Kakori, just outside Lucknow, gave its name to the softest kebab of Awadh, said to have been created for a nawab who could no longer chew. Mutton (goat) mince, ground twice until it is almost a paste, is bound with roasted gram flour, khoya and fried onion, tenderised with raw papaya and perfumed with mace, green cardamom, rose petals and a few drops of kewra. It is wrapped around long skewers and cooked over charcoal until the outside is lightly charred and the inside so delicate that it falls apart on the tongue. Lamb mince with some fat is the best swap. Kakori kebabs are an Eid and wedding favourite, served wrapped in thin rumali roti or ulte tawe ka paratha with mint chutney and onion rings. Because it is minced meat, cook it to 71 °C in the centre. Chef's tip: ask the butcher for mince from the shoulder with about 20 per cent fat and have it ground twice; lean mince makes dry kebabs that won't cling to the skewer.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kebab mix
- 1 ⅛ lb mutton (goat) mincefrom the shoulder, about 20% fat, ground twice; or lamb mince
- 1 ½ tbsp raw green papaya paste
- 2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
- 1 oz khoya (dried milk solids)grated
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
For the spice powder
- 4 cloves
- ¾ in cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp dried edible rose petals
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
For cooking and serving
- ¼ tsp kewra water
- 3 tbsp gheemelted, divided
- 1 red onion (optional)sliced into rings
- 1 lemon (optional)cut in wedges
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 2 tbsp besan (gram flour) in a small pan over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns a shade darker. Tip it out to cool.
4 minStep 2: Grind 6 green cardamom pods, 2 mace blades, 4 cloves, ¾ in cinnamon stick, ½ tsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp dried edible rose petals and 1 pinch grated nutmeg to a fine powder in a spice grinder.
Step 3: Crush 1 oz crisp fried onions (birista) to a powder with your fingers or in the grinder.
Step 4: Put 1 ⅛ lb mutton (goat) mince on a large board or in a food processor and add 1 ½ tbsp raw green papaya paste, the roasted besan, 1 oz khoya (dried milk solids), the onion powder, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp salt, the spice powder, ¼ tsp kewra water and 1 tablespoon of the 1 tbsp ghee. Knead or pulse for 5 minutes until it is completely smooth, sticky and paste-like.
5 minStep 5: Cover and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, no longer than 4; the papaya keeps working and too long makes the mix too soft to hold on a skewer. Common mistake: skipping the chilling; warm mince slides straight off the skewers.
Step 6: Light a charcoal grill and let the coals burn down to glowing embers, or heat an overhead grill to high with the rack 10 cm below it. Have a bowl of cold water ready.
20 minStep 7: Divide the mix into 12 portions. With wet hands, press each one around a flat metal skewer into a thin sausage about 12 cm long, sealing the ends well. Work on 2 portions per skewer if they are long.
Step 8: Grill, turning the skewers every minute, for 6–8 minutes until browned all over. Baste with the remaining 2 tbsp ghee halfway. They are done when the centre reads 160°F on a probe thermometer and no pink remains.
8 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kakori kebab take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of crisp fried onions (birista)?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of kashmiri chilli powder?
- Sweet paprika with a pinch of cayenne (gives the same colour, less heat).
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Perfect for:Eid