Galouti Kebab (Lucknow Melt-in-the-Mouth Kebab)

Legend says galouti kebab was created for a toothless Nawab of Lucknow. The mince is ground very fine, tenderised with raw papaya and flavoured with a perfumed spice mix, then fried gently in ghee.

Serve with ulte tawe ka paratha or small roomali rotis, sliced onions and mint chutney.

• Serves 4
• Prep 30 min
• Marinate 240 min
• Cook 20 min
• Spicy
• Famous in Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow)

Ingredients

• 500 g lamb mince (with some fat), minced twice or blended very fine
• 2 tbsp raw green papaya paste (or 1 tbsp ready papaya paste)
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 tbsp fried onions, crushed
• 2 tbsp roasted gram flour (besan)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• Spice powder: ½ tsp each green cardamom, cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, fennel; 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp kewra or rose water
• A pinch of saffron in 1 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp ghee for frying

Method

1. Mix the mince with all ingredients except the ghee and knead well for 3 minutes until very smooth and sticky.
2. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours (papaya needs time to tenderise; not longer than 8 hours or the meat gets mushy).
3. With oiled hands, shape small flat patties of about 5 cm.
4. Heat the ghee in a flat pan and fry the patties on low-medium heat for 2–3 minutes per side until brown. Turn them only once – they are delicate.
5. Serve hot with paratha, onions and mint chutney.

Tip: For extra aroma, smoke the mince for 2 minutes with a hot piece of charcoal and a drop of ghee before shaping.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.