The Desi urge to ALWAYS have a freezer stocked full of Shami Kebab, ready to fry on demand, is REAL.
And the anxiety when that freezer stash begins to deplete... also real.
Relatable?
Shami Kebabs have always been my best bud, helping me out through tough times. Most notably was through the final months of my last pregnancy - I made a batch of about 50 Shami Kebabs for the freezer at around 7 months and they saw us through till I gave birth. It was an absolute life saver because I was in and out of the hospital every other day for the rest of that pregnancy (that's another story for another time!).
I never quite got around to making a batch for the post-partum period, and if you're out here reading this with a baby on the way, please take my advice: MAKE THAT SHAMI KEBAB FREEZER STASH. DO NOT HESITATE. Run, do NOT walk. Future you will thank you! I really missed my stash when I was back home with 2 kids and didn't have enough hands to get all the jobs done!
Shami Kebabs are wonderful to eat in sandwiches, wraps or paratha rolls, alongside rice, even on their own with your favourite sauce and a fork. My favourite way is in a Shami Anda Bun Kebab, which is basically a Shami Kebab burger with chutneys, salad and an omelette.
Jump to:
❓ What is a Shami Kebab? What's in it?
A Shami Kebab is a patty made out of meat and lentils. Chicken, lamb, mutton, beef - you can make a Shami Kebab out of any meat.
It also contains a variety of spices, chopped onion, fresh coriander and green chillies (if you fancy them!).
Unlike normal kebabs, which tend to be a raw mixture spiced and then cooked, the Shami Kebab is unique in that you first cook it till the meat and lentils are tender, then proceed to grind/mash, then form it into kebab-shapes, dip it into egg and then fry it.
📹 Video
If you learn better with visuals, you're in luck because I have a YouTube video for this recipe!
🎛️ Instructions
So the process is a bit longer than making a regular kebab. Here's how it goes:
Meat, lentils and spices all go into a large pot with some water. All of this will cook on low heat with the lid on until the meat and lentils soften and begin to break apart. You'll need to top up the water if it dries out before the meat/lentils have softened. Red meat will take longer than chicken.
Once the meat and lentils have softened, we can evaporate/dry out any additional moisture, if there is any. Heat turned up, no lid and lots of stirring to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. While you're at it, it's a good time to use your spoon to also break up the meat.
Once all the water has evaporated and the mixture is pretty dry, leave it to cool.
Once cool, you'll want to begin to break down the meat. I usually do this with a wooden spoon, but if you have a 'gotta' that works great. For the best results, I don't recommend you put the mixture in the food processor (I'll talk about it more later). BUT I have heard some people report they have been able to use an electric whisk with good results! The aim is essentially to break the meat down into streaks, like pulled meat, as opposed to grinding it into a paste. There will be lots of prominent bits of lentils, it's OK! They don't need to be broken down. It all adds to the beauty of the Shami Kebab 🙂.
Once the mixture has been broken down, stir in the chopped onion, fresh coriander, green chillies and lemon juice. Also, check for salt and adjust any spices if you need to.
Once the mixture is ready, form it into disc-shaped kebabs.
To fry the kebabs, whisk 1-2 eggs in a bowl (how many eggs will depend on how many kebabs you're frying at the time, but as a rule of thumb one egg is enough to coat 4-5 kebabs). Dip the kebabs in the whisked eggs, then put them immediately onto a preheated, oiled pan over a medium heat. After 5 minutes, flip and allow the other side to cook. Remove.
Devour.
🥩 Do I use ground/minced meat or whole chunks of meat for Shami Kebabs?
My Instagram community who watch my stories may know my love for the PROPER authentic texture of Shami Kebabs, which only comes from using whole chunks of meat.
In authentic recipes, whole chunks of meat are used so you're left with a pulled meat sort of texture, or 'raisha-daar' as we say in Urdu. This is how a Shami Kebab has traditionally been made.
Many recipes call for using ground/minced meat and I can see why - it's quicker cooking and easier to grind. If you genuinely have a preference for the finished result of ground/minced meat over whole chunks, then you can totally use that here. But if you've never tried making these or are open to trying something new, I would urge you to give the whole meat ones a try at least once! It's more labour intensive but I can never have my Shami Kebabs any other way, that's how much I prefer the texture!
🔨 How do I pound/mash the Shami Kebab mixture?
Once the meat and lentils have softened and dried out, we proceed to pound/mash everything into a mixture we can form into kebabs.
So in some parts in Pakistan, the mixture is then pounded in what resembles a giant pestle and mortar. Sounds neat, but I own nothing of the sort, therefore rely on my good ol' wooden spoon and the power of my own two hands. Lol. I know, it must sound awfully long to many of my readers. But honestlyyyyy, I find that if the mixture has been cooked enough to make the meat genuinely really tender and falling apart, it doesn't ACTUALLY take so much time and effort. But then, maybe that's just me *nervous laugh*.
(No, for real, if you cook it for long enough it does melt into shreds itself - ESPECIALLY chicken!)
Many recipes calls for grinding the mixture into a paste using a food processor and hey, if you want to do that, that's cool too! But a food processor will greatly diminish that pulled meat feel. It still tastes good - just not my preference recommendation.
Like I mentioned earlier too, I've heard using an electric whisk whilst the mixture is still warm works to break down the mixture without losing that pulled meat texture! Only if the meat is SUPER tender, though!
You can watch my Shami Kebab YouTube video to see what sort of texture your mixture should look like ideally!
🍗 Best cuts of meat
You're all in luck, I've managed to pin my husband down to help me with this part of the post 😉 My husband has worked for 7 years in the meat industry (he only left recently). He KNOWS all the ins and outs about what cuts are best for what and he's just generally awesome at meat, lol. I personally know very little about meat. I just tell him what I want and he gets it for me and I know it'll be awesome.
Here are the cuts he recommends:
- Chicken: a combination of chicken thigh and breast (he recommends 60% thigh, 40% breast), however if you must choose one, then thigh.
- Beef: topside
- Lamb and mutton: leg
He recommends using less fattier cuts of red meat because the fat content may cause the kebabs to break as they fry (this doesn't apply to chicken because chicken thighs aren't as fatty as red meat).
Top tip: The smaller you ask them to cut the meat for you, the quicker it'll become tender as it cooks.
❄️ How to freeze Shami Kebabs
Shami Kebabs are the OG Pakistani freezer-friendly food. They freeze beautifully and are really so so convenient to have to hand, require such little prep to have them ready to eat from frozen within minutes!
To freeze
Line them up on a tray or container lined with greaseproof paper and place the kebabs next to each other, avoiding too much overlapping as they may stick together. Don't put Shami Kebabs on top of each other. If you haven't got enough space on the tray, add another sheet of greaseproof paper over the first layer of Shami Kebabs and then lay the rest of the Kebabs on there.
Cover with a lid, foil or clingfilm before placing into the freezer for about 24hrs, or till they're frozen solid.
Once they're frozen solid, you can remove them from the tray and then place them in an airtight container or ziploc bag. They won't stick together now that they're frozen, hurrah!
To defrost/cook from frozen
To prepare frozen Shami Kebabs, pop them in the microwave for about a minute or allow them to thaw slightly - you just want to bring the temperature down so they're no longer frozen solid.
Then proceed to dip the kebabs in egg and fry them as you usually would. Check one kebab before taking them all off the pan to ensure it has thawed through and is piping hot in the centre.
🌟 Additional Shami Kebab tips
- I usually make a big batch of Shami Kebabs whenever I do, so the recipe I'm sharing today is usually doubled. Sometimes even tripled if I feel like taking on a challenge. When I make such a big batch, I find it really worth my time to dry roast and grind my own spices myself. It really adds a huge amount of depth to the flavour and again, I find it worth it for when I'm making a big batch.
- If you choose to grind your own spices, use the same amounts of the spice powders listed in the recipe for the whole spices. e.g., for 4 tablespoon coriander powder, use 4tbsp coriander seeds.
- If you are making Shami Kebabs from beef or mutton but don't want them to be too meaty, my dad recommended to use a mixture of 15% chicken thigh and 85% beef/mutton - this will help reduce the meatiness and he also says this makes the Kebab tastier too.
- I have absolutely no qualms with ketchup, but my absolute favourite chutney to serve with these is a green coriander and mint chutney and to date, the best recipe I have found is here, from Chai and Churros! The recipe for the chutney is in the recipe box alongside the bun kebab recipe.
Other recipes you may enjoy with your Shami Kebabs
Aloo Bukhara Ki Chutney | Mutton Pulao | Chicken Pulao | Matar Pulao
🔎 Frequently Asked Questions
u003cstrongu003eQ. Why does my Shami Kebab break/crumble when I fry it?u003c/strongu003e
A. Very likely because the mixture hasn't been dried out enough. OR it could be because a greater quantity of lentils was used than optimal. If you are experiencing this, my advice would be to add in 1-2 mashed potatoes - it will help the mixture bind better. My husband says using a cut of meat which is too fatty may also cause breaking Kebabs.
u003cstrongu003eQ. Do I need to coat them in egg before frying?u003c/strongu003e
A. Ideally, yes - that's what gives it the characteristic feel and look. I have tried frying them without the egg coating and I found it more difficult to flip them over. I also found they didn't look quite as good. I'd say try one out and see how it goes - if it works for you, great! Omitting the egg won't impact the flavour.
u003cstrongu003eQ. Can I make Shami Kebabs in an Instant Pot?u003c/strongu003e
A. Absolutely! I personally haven't made them in the Instant Pot so I cannot comment on cook times. But there's absolutely no reason why this won't work as long as you really sauté out all the moisture.
u003cstrongu003eQ. Can I air-fry Shami Kebabs?u003c/strongu003e
A. Yup! Dip the Kebabs in egg and airfry them for about 4 or so minutes on each side - you may need to adjust this according to your airfryer.
u003cstrongu003eQ. How can I make the process quicker?u003c/strongu003e
A. If you have a pressure cooker, using that will be the surest way to get these babies done quicker. I can't give you exact cook times because I've never done it myself. But there's no reason why it won't work so long as you dry out all the moisture.
u003cstrongu003eQ. How long can these keep in the fridge and freezer?u003c/strongu003e
About 3-4 days in the fridge and about 6 months max in the freezer, if stored airtight.
u003cstrongu003eQ. Can I use any kind of daal?u003c/strongu003e
A. Shami Kebabs are made with yellow split lentils (chana daal) and I don't believe any other daal would have that sort of structure to them to be able to hold shape the way this daal does. I've never tried any other daal, but I really don't think it's worth taking the risk trying another!
Enjoy, with love x
📋 Recipe
Shami Kebab (Chicken, Lamb, Mutton & Beef)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb (700 g) meat of choice I highly recommend using chunks of meat as opposed to minced/ground meat
- 1 cup (190 g) raw split yellow lentils (chana daal)
- 1 bulb garlic, peeled doesn't need to minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 - 3 teaspoon of salt depending on your taste - please check before frying!
- 3.5 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 teaspoon coriander powder
- 3.5 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 2 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon chat masala optional
- 1 large piece cinnamon stick
- 3 black cardamoms
- 0.5 teaspoon whole cloves
- 10 green cardamoms
- 1 bunch fresh coriander chopped
- 1 large onion diced finely
- 3-4 green chillies chopped finely (optional)
- 3 tablespoon (45 ml) lemon juice
- 3 eggs for frying
- Oil for frying
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a deep pot EXCEPT FOR THE LAST 6 INGREDIENTS. Add water, bring to a boil, cover and turn the heat to low and then cook the mixture down until the meat and lentils become very tender. Chicken will need around 3 cups of water and around 1.5hrs, lamb will need around 5-6 cups of water and 2+hrs, mutton will need around 8 cups of water and 3+hrs and beef will need a good 12+ cups and 5+hrs. Please take these timelines as a rough guide - the cook time will depend on how large the chunks of meat are and what cuts you chose. You will need to keep an eye on it, adding water if the meat isn't still tender by the time the water has reduced.
- Once the meat has become very tender, falling apart much like pulled meat, you can turn the heat to high and begin to dry off any excess moisture. Keep stirring, ensuring nothing sticks to pot whilst also breaking down the meat with your spoon. Keep drying out the mixture until it becomes very dry.
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly before proceeding to pound the mixture down, breaking the meat into shreds. You can use a wooden spoon (if the meat has become very soft this may be enough), but you may need to use your hands. You can use a food processor, but I don't love the texture. An electric whisk is also reportedly a good method.
- Once the mixture has been mashed into a textured, pulled-meat like consistency AND has cooled down completely, add the fresh coriander, onion, green chillies and lemon juice. Stir, and then make one final check to ensure the salt and spice is to your liking.
- Shape the mixture into kebab-shaped discs.
- Heat a bit of oil in a pan over a medium heat when you're about to fry the kebabs
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl. Dip the kebabs one by one into the egg, then place them into the pan. Allow them to cook undisturbed for about five minutes, then flip over and allow the other side to cook. Avoid overcrowding the pan too much, and adjust the cook time as much/as little as you need to get the colouring of the kebabs just right.
Notes
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Mayanka
Hi Fatima ,
I am allergic to Chana dal what can I replace it with
Thanks
Sam
Great recipe, made today and used mutton. Whole family loved it.
It’s the first time I have made these and it won’t be the last.
Najma Ishaq
I just made these with chicken, the kabobs were delicious, thank you so much 🥰
Fatima Cooks
You're so welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed it Najma!
Nisha
This recipe, alongside all the detailed explanations, is absolutely brilliant. I never imagined I'd be able to make Shammi kababs that felt like the 'real thing' with the reshmi texture. You made it all seems so easy that I decided to take the plunge, and I am SO delighted! I've always used a food processor previously but now I'm a pounder+whisker for life! Thank you!
Fatima Cooks
Thank you so much, absolutely thrilled to hear! ❤️
Paul
Hi Fatima,
As gorgeous as these are made in the traditional way I am going to try then with minced meat. I am “Dog and Niece” sitting for few days this week. My Niece wants Kebabs! She has no idea of how many versions of Kebab there are so it should be interesting.
We will have a different type of kebab each day.
Completely different subject. Do you have a Nihari masala recipe. I found a lovely one on line but wold be interested in what you know?
Fatima
How exciting - lucky niece!
I unfortunately don't have a nihari masala recipe. I've not delved much into nihari, but it's something I will explore soon. Sorry I'm of no help!
May
Hi Fatima,
If I use chicken would you remove the skin or cook it all together?
Also, what's the most common meat to use? From what I see in the comments it seems to be beef, is that correct?
Fatima
Hey! Yes, definitely remove the skin!
As for what’s most commonly used, it honestly is personal preference. Beef is usually the more preferred one, but if you like chicken more than beef, chicken is fine! If it helps, I prefer chicken!
Paul
Hi Fatima,
The spices in this recipe are beautiful. I have finally, after 4 hours of cooking, I think, got to the dry stage. I have used Beef Skirt and I’m slightly nervous in that I only had 100g of Chanda Dal so in a panic, I grabbed the next jar and made the weight up with, probably the worst choice dal for the purpose that I could’ve picked:-de husked Moong Dal!
Still, however it turns out it tastes fantastic as it is.
I ground all my own spices except the Cinnamon stick. I love Cardomom, both colours!
I’ll post tomorrow when I’ve finished shredding the meat and added the onion etc. and obviously fried the “result”.
I’m very happy that I found your site.
Amazingly I’m just up the Road from you near Manchester.
Thankyou for this amazing recipe.
Paul.
Fatima
Hi Paul! Thank you for your comments, I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying my recipes!
And also glad the shami kebabs have gone well for you. I do find the lentil component of these are quite forgiving - I remember my dad chucking in half a can cannelloni beans when he ran out of chana dal with good results!
Look forward to your kebab update!
Paul
@Fatima, Words fail me, or else overwhelm me!
As I said earlier the spice mix in this is amazing. I really thought I was cooking a beef stew when I began and wondered how on earth it would ever resemble a Shami Kebab.
I thought it would burn, it didn’t. I thought the mix dal would make them fall apart. They didn’t and most of all they are fantastic.
This recipe has blown apart my conception of what a Shami Kebab should be. Meat with Dal Kebab as opposed to what I’ve had from U.K. takeaways which clearly are Dal and Meat Kebabs.
Both my partner and I absolutely adore these and I’m so glad we have lots left to fry tomorrow. We had them with your Aloo Palak recipe.
Both 10/5 or 200%!
Thankyou for putting my mind at rest re your father using Canellini beans from a tin. A sign of a good cook…what to use in an emergency!
Keep in touch,
Paul 🙂
Sadia
Very nice and easy recipe
Thanks for sharing
Fatima
You're welcome! 💖
Shantanu
Hi Fatima
Greetings from Washington DC. I made these today and they are absolutely FANTASTIC! I made them with ground lamb this time but I plan to use lamb leg meat next time. Your proportions and instructions are perfect and I had no difficulty in following them. I plan to use them for bun-kabab later this evening with my wife and son and I am sure they are in for a treat.
Thank you for the detailed recipe and write up.
Shantanu
Fatima
I’m so happy to hear! Thank you so much for your kind words ♥️
Saba
Shami kebabs have been the bane of my cooking since forever. Tried so many recipes but they always lacked something. This one was perfect. Followed it to the t and they turned out so so good. And all the tips & details really helped. Thank you for such a keeper recipe
Tahmina
Hi Fatima,
I made these yesterday and I can confirm these kebabs are GLORIOUS masha'Allah. Admittedly I did follow your YouTube video for this as I'm more of a visual learner but the end result was brilliant. The whole family loved it 😀
Thanks for the recipe!
Fatima
Hi Tahmina! I'm honestly so happy to hear you all like them!! Thank you for sharing your experience! <3
Joginder Singh
Dear Fatima Ma'am
Every time I cook Shami Kababs, I recall that I'd ever make Shami Kabab and that too of 5 star quality. It is all due to your perfect recipe. You are perfection personified. May God bless you.
It's not only Shami Kabab but every recipe of yours.
Fatima
Thank you so so much. Your feedback has made my day! So happy you enjoy the shami kebabs!
Joginder Singh
Dear Ma'am
I don't have words to thank you for your recipes.
I followed your recipe for Shami Kabab blindly and ended up with the best ever Shami kababs I've ever tasted. Better than any five star hotel.
Thanks again.
God Bless You
Joginder
Fatima
Thank you SO much for your kind words. I appreciate you taking the time out to comment and tell me the shami kababs went well. I hope you continue to try and enjoy my recipes! Take care
Joginder Singh
@Fatima, Thanks to your guidance shami kababs come out perfect every time.
Fatema Madari
Wanted to add a pic but don't know how lol and I don't have Instagram 😌
Fatema Madari
Have started following your recipes just recently, loving all the additions and the detailed information in it, sooo much easier.
My husband loves Pakistani food so when I came across the shami kebabs I knew I had to give it a try.
They look scrumptious, I hope they go down well being Ramadhan I'm sure they will ,☺️
After rolling out a few I found them still a bit soft, didn't have time to make maah so added few tsp of chana flour. Did the trick
Keep up the good work.
Reason I liked them even more is they are actually healthy as s the only oil is in frying which is only few spoons, and I used chicken thigh, so win win!!
Fatima
Thank you so much!
And thank you for sharing your tip, I'm sure other readers will find it helpful! Allahuma barik <3
Surabhi Miah
The minute I saw these kebabs on Fatima’s Instagram I knew I wanted to try them. On the day, I decided to free-style a lot of things from the recipe which wasent the best idea. However the one thing I kept on script was her spice suggestions- absolutely spot on! To give her credit, not only did she spend hours writing the perfect blog but also humored me when I sent her sos messages on Instagram. My kebabs came out perfect and I’ll definitely be making them again while following her recipe to the T 🤭
Amber
An absolutely smashing 5 star recipe!! So easy to follow and sooooo tasty!! Thank you for sharing this with us; when I got the notification that you uploading a new recipe on your food blog I can’t wait to try it out! I used a pressure cooker for this, with small chunks of baby lamb which worked really well! Love love love 😋
Fatima
Thank you SO much, Amber! Always appreciate your support and love!