There was a time when Nawabs and Nizams would employ chefs or bawarchis whose sole job would be to make kebabs. The landed gentry in Lucknow and Hyderabad would be known not by their wealth but by the quality of the food that would be served to guests. Thus kebab recipes were often closely-guarded secrets handed down from father to sons for generations. The recipes of the barra kebab at Karims in New Delhi and the galauti kebab of Tunday’s in Lucknow are examples of such close-guarded secrets.
Here we highlight two kebabs that have been popular for centuries.
Baida Kebab, Skewered Egg and Potato Rolls
(Baida means egg. For those who do not eat chicken or meat, this is a good option).
Ingredients
11 eggs
200 gm potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 gm garam masala powder
2 gm chaat masala
½ cup breadcrumbs
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp ginger, chopped
1 tsp green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp butter, for basting
Method
Boil 10 eggs, grate and mix with the mashed potatoes. Add the garam masala, chaat masala, breadcrumbs, salt, red chilli powder, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves and the raw egg to the mixture.
Divide this mixture into five equal parts. Wrap each portion along the length of skewers using wet hands, leaving a 2 cm gap between each. Grill for 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove and baste with butter and grill for another couple of minutes. Remove from skewers and serve hot with mint chutney.
Boti Kebab
Boti simply means pieces. In fact this is one of the easiest kebabs to have come out of the Nawabs’ kitchens as it does not require much pounding of meat or extravagant ingredients.
Ingredients
1 kg lamb, boneless, cut into small cubes
1 tbsp raw papaya paste
Salt to taste
¼ cup malt vinegar
¼ cup vegetable oil
For the marinade:
¾ cup hung yoghurt, whisked
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp red chilli paste
2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Method
Mix the papaya paste with salt and vinegar in a bowl. Add the lamb and mix well ensuring that each chunk is well coated. Keep for 30 minutes.
For the marinade, blend all the ingredients mentioned and leave the lamb in this marinade overnight.
Heat oil in a shallow pan; add the lamb with the marinade and cook over low-medium heat, turning frequently with a spatula, for about 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot with mint chutney and roomali roti.