Tamarind Flavoured Kebabs

 

Ingredients

 

1 kg beef, minced

1 tablespoon garlic paste

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 tablespoon vinegar

½ teaspoon paprika powder

½ teaspoon crushed black pepper

Juice of half a lemon

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Vegetable oil for frying

 

Optional:

Salt to taste

 

Step 1: Put all the spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the beef and knead together with your fingers making sure the meat and spices are evenly mixed.

Step 2: Take a little meat mixture at a time and shape with your hands to form thick 2-3 inch tubular rods. You can make the shapes smaller or bigger and thinner or thicker. Once you have run out of the spiced meat mixture, keep them covered in the fridge to harden a little.

Step 3: Put a little oil — enough to submerge the kebabs— in a frying pan and heat until oil gets hot but is not smoking. Fry the kebabs turning them frequently until they are brown on all sides. The oil needs to be hot; otherwise, the kebabs will absorb the oil making them oily and inedible. (Use a no-oil electric fryer for a healthier option).

If baking or grilling, place the kebabs on a greased baking tray and cook on high heat, about 200° Celsius. Turn the kebabs as soon as their colour starts to change to a slight brown and they begin to release a little water. It takes less than 5 minutes per side until the kebabs are fully cooked. You can also grill on a charcoal grill for a more BBQ effect.

Tip: Adding water-soaked bread, with the water squeezed out, helps bind the minced meat. Alternatively, you can also add an egg. I find that the meat binds together on its own when using fresh non-frozen meat.



 

 

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