Minced lamb and chana dal patties stuffed with a filling of raw onion, mint and yogurt — a kebab where the filling is raw and cold inside a cooked shell. The contrast of the cooked outer patty with the fresh, cool filling inside is the defining characteristic of this Hyderabadi preparation.
Ingredients
For the outer shell:
300 g minced lamb — finely minced
1/4 cup chana dal — soaked 2 hours
1 tbsp ginger paste, 1 tbsp garlic paste
4 green cardamom, 4 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon (whole — for cooking the dal)
1 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, salt
1 egg — for binding
For the filling:
1/4 cup fresh yogurt — thick, hung for 30 minutes
2 tbsp onion — very finely minced
1 tbsp fresh mint — very finely chopped
1 green chilli — finely minced
a pinch of salt
Method
Cook dal with whole spices: Cook the soaked chana dal with the whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon) in a small amount of water for 20 minutes until soft. Drain and discard the whole spices.
Grind together: Grind the cooked chana dal and raw minced lamb together in a food processor until a smooth, unified paste forms.
Add ginger, garlic and spices: Mix in ginger paste, garlic paste, garam masala, red chilli powder, salt and egg. Mix thoroughly 5 minutes.
Refrigerate 30 minutes: Chill the mixture to firm it.
Make the filling: Mix thick yogurt with finely minced onion, mint, green chilli and a pinch of salt. Keep cold.
Shape the shikampuri: Take 2 tablespoons of the lamb-dal mixture. Flatten into a disc in your palm. Place 1 teaspoon of the cold yogurt filling in the centre. Fold the edges of the disc upward to enclose the filling completely. Press into a flat, round patty about 6 cm wide.
Seal firmly: Ensure no filling is visible at the edges.
Shallow fry in ghee: Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a flat pan on medium. Fry the patties 3 to 4 minutes per side until deep golden on both surfaces.
Drain briefly.
Serve: Serve immediately — when cut open, the contrast of the golden cooked shell with the cool, tangy filling inside is the experience. Serve with green chutney and sliced onion.
Note: Shikampuri Kebab (shikam = belly in Persian, puri = full/stuffed) is a Hyderabadi Nizam court preparation distinguished by the cold, raw filling inside a cooked shell. The technique of stuffing a cooked kebab patty with a cold raw filling requires significant skill — the filling must be sealed perfectly or it leaks during frying. The Hyderabadi shikampuri uses a chana dal and minced meat combination for the outer shell rather than the pure minced meat used in other kebab styles.