MUTHI KABAB

Punjabis are known for their distinctive cooking style and taste, and muthi kabab is a quintessential Punjabi dish. For all those who love to undertake different but extraordinary side dishes, I present you another effortless and easy side dish, muthi kabab. Serve hot with different kinds of dips.

Ingredients

500g minced meat

2 onions, chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

3 chopped green chilli

1 tsp ginger paste

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped

1 tsp chat masala

2 red pepper, crushed

½ tsp pomegranate seeds powder

1 egg

3 tbsp gram flour (pan roasted)

½ tsp cumin seeds powder

Oil for frying

Method

In a bowl, put minced meat and add all the ingredients except for oil. Mix with your hands until well combined and let stand for half an hour to blend flavours. Now take a handful of the mixture and shape them into fist-sized oval kababs. Now, heat oil in a pan, and deep fry the kababs till golden brown. Remove to a platter and serve hot.

MUTTON TIKKA

Ingredients

1 kg mutton meat, boneless (cut into chunks)

2 large onions, chopped

5 green chillies, chopped

¾ cup vinegar

1 cup tsp salt

1 tsp garlic paste

2 tsp ginger paste

3 tbsp oil

1 large tomato, chopped

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp chaat masala

½ tsp lemon juice

Method

Chop onions and green chillies and soak them in the vinegar for 10 minutes. Then remove from vinegar, and set aside. In the vinegar, add meat, salt, ginger and garlic paste. Allow it to marinate for 2 hours in the fridge. Now, put the meat and vinegar mixture in a small pot and bring to a boil.

Cover and decrease to a simmer and cook on a low flame until the vinegar has evaporated and the meat is cooked through, approximately 1-2 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan over medium low heat. Add onion and stir for few seconds, add tomato and meat and fry until the tomatoes starts to break down. Add soaked green chilli mixture and continue frying. Season with black pepper, chaat masala and lemon juice. Test and adjust seasonings if desired.

Serve with lemon wedges and chat masala.

Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed

TAJ KABAB (BEEF TAJ KABAB)

Ingredients

1 kg thinly sliced beef (1-inch long)

4 large potatoes

4 large onions

4 to 5 large tomatoes

2 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp cardamom powder

½ tsp black pepper powder

5 to 6 cloves

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp chilli powder

½ tsp nutmeg powder (jaiphal)

¼ tsp mace powder (jaitri)

1 cinnamon stick

2 tbsp vinegar

4 to 5 dried chillies

1 tsp whole cumin

2 bay leaf

2 tbsp salt (as needed)

¼ cup mustard oil

¼ cup soybean oil

Method

Slice the beef into thin, 1-inch long pieces. Clean the beef and marinate with ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin powder, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Now marinate further with vinegar, mustard powder, jaiphal, jaitri, cardamom powder, black pepper and mustard oil. Keep aside for about 10 minutes.

Cut the potatoes, tomatoes and onions into large, round, ¼" thick pieces. Keep aside. Heat the soy bean oil in a saucepan. Fry the whole cumin, cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves. Turn off the heat.

Place half of the beef evenly over the saucepan. Now layer half of the sliced potatoes, onions and tomatoes on top of the beef. Place the remaining beef evenly on the layer of vegetables. Finally, put the remaining potatoes, onions and tomatoes on top of the second layer of beef. Throw in the dried chilli on top and turn on the heat. Cover and cook over medium heat. After about 10 minutes, lower the heat. Let it cook for 1 hour. Do not open the cover or stir the ingredients. Remove the cover after an hour. Let any remaining water dry up completely. Cook until the beef is soft and tender, and the oil starts to separate from the water.

Serve hot with polao or paratha.