Seekh Kebab With Mint Chutney

Recipe from Chintan Pandya

Adapted by Alexa Weibel

Published September 28, 2019

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes, plus chilling
Rating
4(277)
Comments
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Served at most traditional Indian restaurants, seekh kebabs are made with ground lamb that’s been seasoned with garam masala, cumin seeds, fresh ginger and fresh cilantro, then grilled and served with raw red onion and bright mint chutney to offset the richness and heat. This recipe comes from Chintan Pandya, the executive chef at Adda Indian Canteen, a New York restaurant that specializes in homestyle Indian food. You’ll need to purchase deggi mirch, an Indian chile powder that tastes somewhat like a smoky paprika, but is mild enough to be used in a quantity large enough to color the meat red. The spiced meat mixture benefits from chilling to help retain its shape on the grill, but you could also roll it into meatballs and pan-sear them on the stovetop or roast them in the oven, if the season dictates. —Alexa Weibel

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Ingredients

Yield:6 kebabs

FOR THE SEEKH KEBAB

  • 2 ¼ pounds ground lamb

  • 1 packed cup shredded Amul cheese or white Cheddar (about 3 ounces)

  • ⅓ packed cup very finely chopped fresh cilantro

  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons deggi chile powder, plus additional for garnish

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon minced green Thai chile or serrano chile (with seeds)

  • 2 teaspoons garam masala

  • 1 teaspoon black cumin seeds (shah zeera) or regular cumin seeds

  • ¾ teaspoon ground cardamom

  • Kosher salt

  • Neutral oil, for greasing

FOR THE MINT CHUTNEY

  • 3 packed cups roughly chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems

  • 2 packed cups roughly chopped fresh mint leaves

  • ¼ cup finely chopped red onion

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

  • 1 teaspoon minced green Thai or serrano chile (seeds included)

  • 2 tablespoons anardana (dried pomegranate seeds), crushed, or very finely chopped fresh mango

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more as needed

  • Red onion, very thinly sliced, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

9 grams carbs; 138 milligrams cholesterol; 610 calories; 20 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 49 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 592 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the lamb skewers: In a large bowl, combine the lamb with the cheese, cilantro, chile powder, ginger, garlic, green chile, garam masala, cumin seeds, cardamom and 2 teaspoons salt. Shape the meat like a sausage into six 5-inch logs that are just under 2 inches thick. Skewer each and pack them tightly. Refrigerate for 2 hours and up to overnight to firm up.

  2. Step 2

    Prepare the mint chutney: Add the cilantro, mint, red onion, ginger, green chile and ¼ cup water to a blender. Puree until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. (Add more water by the spoonful, if needed, until mixture is saucy.) Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in the anardana, lemon juice and sugar; season to taste with salt and more sugar, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to use. (The mint chutney is best the day it’s prepared, but it can be refrigerated one day in advance.)

  3. Step 3

    Brush the grill with neutral oil and heat over medium. Grill the kebabs, rotating as needed, until browned all over and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with mint chutney, and very thinly sliced red onion, if desired. Sprinkle kebabs and onions (if using) with deggi chile powder and serve immediately.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
277 user ratings
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Comments

Tom O’Connor

Excellent recipe but please don’t bother finding and including the pomegranate seeds in the chutney. Even after crushing them and putting in the Vitamix blender, they are inedible tiny rocks that have to be removed and really ruined an otherwise delicious recipe.

Joy Pinto-Kamath

Works equally well with ground pork, ground chicken, or lean (not extra-lean) ground beef. Just don't mix them.

Margie SS

Pretty much made as written w/the exception of (changed out of necessity): * Cheese: Didn't have Amul or white cheddar so followed another reader's comment and used feta *Deggi Chile Powder: Didn't have so used a combination of hot and smoked paprika * Chutney: Was too thick as written so added a good bit of water to make it "saucy." But overall...very good and excellent flavor! Will definitely make again.

Barbara

Didn’t have Deggi Chili Powder so subbed 1/2 paprika, 1/2 smoked paprika and dried pomegranate seeds were as available as moon dust, so I chopped fresh mango as suggested. The lamb kabobs were wonderful - juicy, full of flavor and grilling them is the way to go. I found the Mint Chutney a little disappointing, but the locally available mint grown here on the Gulf Coast is typically Sweet Mint, which I suspect is a gentler version of Common Mint. I think that is why my chutney tasted somewhat anemic in spite of the heat from the serrano. I fiddled with salt, sugar, lemon juice, etc. but could not bring the flavors forward that should have been there. I will definitely make these again, but first I have to get my hands on some regular mint.

CAPhyl

For two, I halved everything, using 1 lb of ground beef. Was so spicy that I would take the spices down a touch more. I only put a tiny bit of water in the mint chutney and I wish I didn't. Used olive oil instead and diced mango. Actually tasted really good. Will make this again with reduced spices.

Dianne

While I didn't have everything in the ingredient list, I subbed what I had- ground chicken, feta, no chili powder, and Kitchen King Masala (Everest Brand from my Indian grocer) for garam masala, and kept everything else the same. I made them early in the day, to let the flavors meld, and cooked them in butter, for dinner. Served with Melissa Clarks Peruvian green sauce, as well as raita. Fantastic recipe! Delicious flavor, even with the changes.

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Credits

Adapted from Chintan Pandya, Adda Indian Canteen, New York

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