Kebabs of India
Kebabs are one of the most celebrated melt-in-the-mouth delights, enjoyed around the world. And when it comes to Indian kebabs, they are known for their rich and aromatic marinades and the smokey and charred flavour they offer through fire-led cooking. Rooted in ancient culinary traditions that travelled across the world, these meat delights are mostly enjoyed as a snack or appetizer and are also enjoyed with paratha and salad as a main course too. Recently, Taste Atlas released a list of 59 best kebab varieties and interestingly 8 Indian varieties are mentioned in it. Take a look.
Bihari Kebab, Rank 38
It is a unique kebab made with meat, mustard oil, dahi, poppy seeds, nutmeg, garam masala, and papaya paste. It's marinated for a long time, then placed on wooden skewers and cooked on a grill.
Boti Kebab, Rank 40
It is a variety of Indian kebab, consisting of chunks of meat (lamb, mutton, chicken) that are soaked in a mixture of yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilis, papaya paste, and spices such as garam masala, chili powder, and cumin. After the marinating process, the meat chunks are skewered and grilled to perfection, then brushed with ghee and are best served as a snack.
Galouti Kebab, Rank 42
It is native to Lucknow and is made with ground lamb or mutton that's marinated in a combination of ground ginger, garlic, cloves, papaya paste, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon, cardamom, chili powder, and nutmeg.
Shami Kebab, Rank 43
It is a variety of kebab made by combining minced lamb, mutton, beef or chicken with split bengal grams, onions, chilis, ginger, garlic, and various herbs and spices such as cumin, red chili flakes, garam masala, and mint leaves. The meat mixture is then seasoned with salt and pepper and shaped into round patties, which are then coated with beaten eggs and pan-fried until their exterior becomes crispy.
Kakori Kebab, Rank 52
It is native to the Indian town of Kakori in Uttar Pradesh and is made with a combination of mutton, ghee, eggs, cinnamon, and (often) chickpeas.
Gola Kebab, Rank 53
It consists of meatballs that are usually skewered when served. The meatballs are made with a combination of mutton, onions, and a variety of herbs and spices such as red chili powder, turmeric powder, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander leaves, mint leaves, and ginger-garlic paste. These are shallow fried or baked until golden brown.
Kalmi kebab, Rank 54
It is a traditional dish influenced by Mughlai cuisine, and is especially popular in Punjab. The dish is made with chicken drumsticks that are marinated and shallow-fried on high heat in a pan until deep golden in color. The meat can also be prepared in a tandoor oven and uses a marinade of dahi, cream, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, cashews, jeera powder, garam masala, red chili powder, and black pepper.
Shikampuri Kebab, Rank 59
It is a traditional meat dish originating from India. These meat patties are usually made from mutton or chicken mixed with ginger-garlic paste, eggs, chana dal (bengal gram), and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, red chili powder, and turmeric powder.
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