Note to self: The one thing that everyone asks my mom about her kabobs is how she gets them super soft and succulent. From customers at the restaurant to hotel wedding managers for catering orders everyone dies to know how they’re made. And until today it was a very well guarded secret that she allowed me to share on my blog. Granted the spice mixes are still a Lazeez Asian Cuisine secret (which will be available to purchase soon inshaAllah) but the secret to these kabobs is believe it or not, pureed onions! They break down and tenderize the meat and help retain/add moisture and juices from the meat.
The best thing about kabobs is that they’re so versatile. If you need to meal prep or need an easy side dish to any party, mastering kabobs will make your life so much easier. They freeze really well so you can pull them out whenever you have those surprise guests over or when you have a tough day and don’t feel like cooking.
To make seikh kabobs (or shish kabobs) you’ll need a silakh, which is a metal skewer rod. You can find them at your nearest Pakistani/Indian grocery store, (I got mine from Pakistan) but if you don’t have it near you, here’s one that can be ordered off of Amazon.
Definitely give this recipe a shot and you won’t regret it! Super yummy with a side of biryani and a chutney or raita to go with it.
Ingredients:
Seikh Kabobs:
- ½ of a large onion quartered
- 1 lb ground beef (I used lean ground beef)
- 1 packet of Foodjabi x Lazeez Asian Cuisine Seikh Kabob spice mix
- 3 tbsp pureed onion mixture
- 1 tbsp whisked egg
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp crisco
- Metal Skewer
Chapli Kabobs:
- ½ of a large onion quartered
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 packet of Foodjabi x Lazeez Asian Cuisine Chapli Kabob spice mix
- 3 tbsp pureed onion mixture
- 1 tbsp whisked egg
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tbsp crisco
- ¼ cup diced onions
- ¼ cup diced tomatoes
Directions:
Seikh Kabobs:
- In a food processor add ½ of a large onion and puree. You can add 1/2 tbsp of water to help it along if necessary.
- Place the pureed onion mixture into a fine mesh strainer and remove all the excess water. You can use the back of a spoon to smush the onions and help it along.
- In a medium bowl place 1 lb of ground beef, 1 packet of Foodjabi x Lazeez asian cuisine Seikh kabob spice mix, 3 tbsp of the pureed onion mixture, 1 tbsp egg, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, and 1 tbsp crisco. Mix well.
- Form meat mixture into 5-6 evenly shaped balls.
- Pre heat the oven to 250 degrees. (A little above warm. You don’t want it to be too hot or else the kabob will be hard and dry)
- Use a tiny bit of oil to wet the silakh (metal skewer). Place a ball onto the skewer and form into a log shape. It should be thin and long (about 6-8″) and then slide it off the metal skewer and place it on a baking sheet. (You can also cook it directly on a grill while it’s still on the metal skewer)
- Place the baking tray in the oven and cook for 5 minutes. Then turn the kabobs around and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Optional: You can spray a bit of pam in a skillet and fry them up to give them more of a charred brown look. Don’t use oil or they might fall apart.
Chapli Kabobs:
- In a medium bowl place 1 lb of ground beef, 1 packet of Foodjabi x Lazeez asian cuisine Chapli Kabob spice mix, 3 tbsp of the pureed onion mixture, 1 tbsp egg, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro, and 1 tbsp crisco. Mix well.
- To this add ¼ cup diced onions, ¼ cup diced tomatoes and mix well.
- Form meat mixture into 5-6 evenly shaped patties. (Make them really thin because they do shrink after you cook them)
- In a skillet add 2 tbsp of oil and place on medium high/high heat. You want to sear the outside and then lower the temperature to medium and cook through.
Serve with chutney, raita, biryani, or naan 🙂
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