Pakistani Seekh Kebab Burger

About This Recipe

Seekh kebabs are traditionally hand-molded onto skewers and grilled over charcoal, a street food staple across Pakistan flavored with a heavy hand of ginger, garlic, green chile and garam masala worked into ground beef or lamb. This burger takes that same well-seasoned mince and shapes it into patties instead of skewers, which makes it far easier to cook on a home stovetop or grill while keeping every bit of the smoky, spiced flavor seekh kebabs are known for. The key to a seekh kebab that holds together, whether on a skewer or as a patty, is working the mince by hand until it turns slightly sticky and pastelike -- this binds the meat without needing egg or breadcrumbs, and gives the finished kebab its dense, juicy bite. A pinch of roasted gram flour (besan) helps absorb extra moisture from the onion and keeps the patties from falling apart on the grill. Served in a bun with mint-cilantro chutney and quick pickled onions, this burger swaps the usual skewer presentation for something easier to eat in one hand, while keeping the char-grilled, heavily spiced character that makes seekh kebabs a favorite from Karachi to Lahore.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 600 gground beef(20% fat)
• 1small onion(grated and squeezed dry)
• 1.5 tbspginger-garlic paste
• 2green chiles(minced)
• 2 tbsproasted gram flour (besan)
• 1.5 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspred chile powder
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.25 cupcilantro(finely chopped)
• 1.25 tspfine sea salt
• 4burger buns
• 0.5 cupmint-cilantro chutney
• 1red onion(thinly sliced, quick-pickled in vinegar)
• 2 tbspoil(for cooking)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the kebab meat

   In a bowl, combine ground beef, grated onion, ginger-garlic paste, green chiles, gram flour, garam masala, chile powder, cumin, cilantro and salt. Knead by hand for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture turns sticky and slightly pale.

   The mixture should feel tacky and hold together when pressed -- that stickiness is what keeps the patties from crumbling on the grill.

2. 2

   Shape the patties

   Divide into 4 portions and shape into patties about 1 inch thick. Chill 15 minutes if the mixture feels loose.

3. 3

   Cook the patties

   Heat oil in a heavy skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Cook patties 4 to 5 minutes per side until well charred on the outside and cooked through, reaching 160°F (71°C) internally.

4. 4

   Toast the buns

   In the last minute, toast the cut sides of the buns in the same pan to pick up some of the kebab drippings.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Spread mint chutney on both bun halves, add the patty, top with pickled onion, and serve immediately.

Variations

• •

  Lamb version: substitute ground lamb for beef for a richer, more traditional seekh kebab flavor.

• •

  Skewer style: shape the mixture around flat metal skewers and grill over high heat, turning often, for the classic presentation.

• •

  No-bun plate: serve the patties over rice or with naan instead of a burger bun, alongside extra chutney and sliced cucumber.

Storage

Refrigerate cooked patties up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Raw shaped patties can be frozen between parchment layers for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions