Chicken Seekh Kababs

Servings : Serves 3-4

Chicken seekhs are made from spiced minced chicken which is molded onto skewers and then grilled or pan-fried. It is an easy recipe that can be prepared ahead of time and frozen to be warmed up when needed.

Ingredients

  • 500gm boneless chicken breast (mix breast and thigh)
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp. cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp. coriander powder
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
  • 1 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2-3 green or red chillies, chopped
  • 4 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint (optional)
  • 1 tsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tsp. garlic paste
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp. grated cheese (optional)
  • 1-2 tbsp. breadcrumbs (if needed)
  • 1/4 cup oil for shallow frying

Instructions

Clean and completely dry off the chicken pieces, they should not have any excess moisture. The reason we mix thigh and breast pieces is because you need the slight fat content that is in the thigh meat to give moist results. So make sure not to trim off all the fat from the chicken when cleaning. If your chicken pieces do not have any bits of fat, add 1 tsp. of butter to compensate for it.

Put the chopped onion in a processor and grind to a rough consistency. Remove and squeeze out all the excess water. Then put the onion back in the processor, add the chillies, coriander, mint, spices, salt, ginger, garlic and lemon juice. Whizz it to combine, then add the chicken cubes.

Grind the mixture until combined and smooth, but take care not to over process as that will end up making the chicken too soft to handle.

Turn the mixture out into a bowl, and add the egg gradually while mixing. You may not need the full egg, once the mixture is slightly sticky, stop adding egg. If the mixture ends up being too soft, add the breadcrumbs and combine well. You can also add some cheese for added flavour if you want.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours. Refrigerating helps to firm up the mixture so that it is easier to handle.

When ready to cook, scoop handfuls of the mixture and form sausages on skewers. You can also shape these on the stick end of a wooded spoon for an authentic seekh shape, just be sure to grease it lightly so that the kabab slides off easily after shaping. Heat a drizzle of oil in a non stick pan or grill pan and arrange the kababs on it. Cook for about 10 minutes or as needed, turning them as needed to brown the seekh kababs evenly.

For a smoky flavour, you can smoke the seekh mixture before shaping the kababs by placing a lit coal on a piece of foil and placing it in the middle of the bowl holding the mixture. Then drop a bit of oil on the coal and cover the bowl for 2 minutes to retain the smoke in the bowl for the mixture to absorb it. Once done, discard the coal and proceed with the instructions. Alternatively you can smoke the kababs once they are cooked using the same method, whichever works best for you.

Serve the kababs with a salad, naan or parathas, fries, rice, etc. These kababs can be frozen and used for making kabab rolls or wraps by folding them in warm parathas along with salad and any sauce that you like. They make for the perfect lunch box dish.

Enjoy! 🙂

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