Ingredients
- •2 lbs ground lamb (not extra-lean — you want some fat)
- •1 medium onion, very finely minced and squeezed dry
- •4 cloves garlic, finely grated
- •1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- •¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- •2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
- •2 green chilies, minced
- •2 tsp ground cumin
- •2 tsp ground coriander
- •1 tsp garam masala
- •1 tsp kashmiri chili powder (or paprika)
- •2 tsp kosher salt
- •1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- •2 tbsp neutral oil
- •For mint chutney:
- •1 cup fresh mint leaves
- •½ cup fresh cilantro
- •1 green chili
- •2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- •1 tbsp water
- •½ tsp sugar
- •¼ tsp salt
- •For serving:
- •Warm naan or paratha
- •Sliced red onion with lemon juice
- •Lemon wedges
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine ground lamb, squeezed onion, garlic, ginger, cilantro, mint, green chilies, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Mix thoroughly with your hands until the spices are evenly distributed and the mixture is slightly sticky.
Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions.
Shape each portion around a flat metal skewer (or roll into 6-inch-long sausage shapes if using the bag method).
If not using skewers, shape the kebabs and place in vacuum-seal bags in a single layer without touching.
Seal gently to avoid deforming the kebabs.
Preheat sous vide bath to 132°F (56°C).
Submerge and cook for 2 h to set the interior while keeping it juicy and pink.
When done, remove kebabs from bags and pat dry.
If using skewers, thread the cooked kebabs onto them now.
Heat a grill, grill pan, or broiler to the highest possible heat.
Brush kebabs lightly with oil.
Grill or broil 60–90 sec per side, rotating to char all surfaces evenly.
The exterior should be deeply browned with charred spots while the interior stays pink.
Make mint chutney by blending all chutney ingredients until smooth.
Serve kebabs on warm naan with mint chutney, sliced onion dressed with lemon, and lemon wedges.
Notes
- •Squeezing the onion dry is critical — wet onion makes the kebab mixture fall apart on the grill
- •The sous vide step solves the classic seekh kebab problem of raw interior vs. burnt exterior
- •Flat metal skewers are traditional and prevent the kebab from spinning when you flip
- •Ground lamb with 20% fat content gives the best results; lean lamb makes dry, crumbly kebabs