Soft, melt-in-the-mouth meat patties bound with chickpeas and aromatic spices — a Mughal-era classic served at Pakistani feasts.
Shami kebab is the gentleman's kebab: soft, fine-textured patties made by simmering meat with chickpeas and whole spices, grinding the mixture smooth, then pan-frying. The chickpeas (chana dal) are the binding magic — they cook into the meat and create a silky, spreadable texture impossible to achieve with mince alone. It is a staple of Pakistani Eid tables and tea-time spreads.
Serves 6
Combine beef, drained chana dal, onion, ginger-garlic, all whole spices, salt and water in a pot. Cover and simmer 60 min until meat and dal are completely soft and water is mostly evaporated.
Uncover and cook on high until any remaining water evaporates — the mixture must be dry to grind properly.
Cool completely. Discard whole spice pods if visible. Grind in a food processor to a smooth paste.
Mix in the finely chopped onion, green chilli and herbs. Adjust salt.
Wet hands. Take a small ball of mixture, flatten into a 6cm patty. Make 16–18 patties.
Heat ghee in a non-stick pan. Beat egg in a shallow bowl. Dip each patty briefly in egg, then fry in ghee 2 min per side until golden brown.
Drain on paper towel. Serve hot with mint chutney, sliced onion and lemon. Eat with naan or as a tea-time snack.
The mixture must be DRY before grinding — wet mixture won't bind into kebabs.
Make double batches and freeze: you'll always have an instant tea-time snack.
Mutton/lamb shami — same recipe with lamb shoulder
Chicken shami — reduce simmering time to 35 min
Stuff each kebab with a pinch of chopped onion and mint for added crunch
Refrigerate raw kebabs up to 3 days. Freeze raw kebabs up to 2 months — fry from frozen.
Shami kebabs originated in the Mughal kitchens of Delhi and Awadh in the 17th century. The legend: a toothless Nawab of Lucknow demanded kebabs he could eat without chewing, and the royal cooks created shami's signature melt-in-the-mouth texture. The word 'shami' comes from Sham (Damascus), suggesting Levantine origin.
Blender adds liquid and disrupts texture. A food processor with a pulsing motion gives the right paste-like but bound consistency.
Yes but you lose the golden, crisp coating. They will still hold together if made correctly.
Per serving · 6 servings total
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