Instructions

Clean the meat well removing all sinews. Do not discard any fat if found.

Cut the meat into pieces small enough so as not to jam the mincer.

Mince all the ingredients together except the powdered spices, salt and lime juice.

Once the mince is done, add the powders and lime juice and knead well.

To check for seasoning, pan fry a small patty sized piece and taste.

Cover the mince and chill in the refrigerator once you are satisfied with the taste.

To make the kebabs you either need a tandoor or you can grill them over a barbecue.

Ensure that whatever you are cooking over is lit or heated to a high degree before you start forming the mince over the skewers.

You need skewers and thick square ones are the best, as thin round skewers cannot hold the weight of the mince.

Take a two-inch ball of the mince in one hand and a skewer in the other.

Make the ball as smooth as possible by tossing it like a ball in your hand.

Now press the ball at roughly the middle of the skewer and press around so that the mince is now covering all round that part of the skewer.

Now apply a little oil or water to the palm that you use for the mince and by gently pressing the meat make it in the form of a sausage on the skewer. Ideally the size of the sausage should be around one inch or a bit less in diameter.

Once you have achieved this you can suspend the skewer on a small tray so that the skewer rests over the two opposite sides and allows the minced area to remain in the hollow of the tray.

Complete this with all the skewers.

When you are ready suspend them either over the barbecue or insert them in the tandoor as recommended by the manufacturer.

Do not over cook as this makes the kavab dry and chewy. The kavab should ideally feel spongy but should show signs of a liquid presence inside.

Serve with fresh green chutney and an onion based salad…and enjoy.

Or roll in a chappati or a flour tortilla filled with salad and sliced onion and serve.

© Cyrus Todiwala