Kabab

Ingredients

• 500 grams Minced mutton (Use freshly minced mutton for best results. Ask your butcher to mince it finely.)
• 1 to taste Salt (Plain table salt or sea salt.)
• 1 tablespoon Ginger paste (To make a paste, peel fresh ginger and grind or pound it to a smooth consistency using a pestle and mortar or blender with a tiny splash of water.)
• 2 tablespoons Onion paste (Peel and roughly chop one medium onion, then blend or pound to a smooth paste.)
• 1 tablespoon Garlic paste (Peel several garlic cloves and grind or pound them to a smooth paste.)
• 1 tablespoon Chilli paste (Use fresh red or green chillies. Remove stems, then blend or pound to a paste. Adjust quantity to your heat preference.)
• 2 tablespoons Ghee (Divided — a little is mixed into the meat mass, and the rest is drizzled over the kababs during roasting. Ghee is clarified butter available at Indian grocery stores.)
• 3 tablespoons Besan (gram flour) (Also called chickpea flour or gram flour. It acts as a binder to hold the kabab balls together. Available at Indian or South Asian grocery stores.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the minced mutton in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt, ginger paste, onion paste, garlic paste, and chilli paste. Use your hands or a large spoon to mix everything together thoroughly so the pastes coat every part of the mince evenly. Once well combined, cover the bowl with a plate or cling wrap and set aside to rest. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to a few hours in the refrigerator if you have time — this allows the flavours to fully penetrate the meat.
2. 2After the marinating time, add a little ghee (about 1 tablespoon) and the besan (gram flour) to the mutton mixture. Use your hands to knead and mix everything together firmly. You are working towards a stiff, dough-like mass that holds its shape well and does not feel wet or sticky. If it feels too soft, add a little more besan one teaspoon at a time. The besan acts as a binder and the ghee adds richness and helps everything come together.
3. 3Divide the stiff mutton mixture into equal portions. Roll each portion firmly between your palms to form smooth, compact balls — roughly the size of a golf ball or slightly larger. Press them firmly so they hold together and have no cracks. If your hands are sticking, you can lightly wet or grease them with a tiny amount of ghee. Lay the formed balls on a clean plate as you work.
4. 4Prepare your charcoal grill or barbecue and allow the coals to reach a steady, glowing heat with no large open flames — the ideal stage for roasting. Carefully push a pointed iron skewer (or a sturdy metal skewer) through the centre of each ball, attaching it firmly onto the tip of the skewer. If using multiple balls on one skewer, space them slightly apart. Hold the skewers over the charcoal heat and roast the kababs, turning them slowly and regularly so they brown evenly on all sides. Every few minutes, drizzle or brush a little ghee over the kababs as they cook — this keeps them moist and adds flavour. Continue roasting until they are deep golden-brown all over and cooked through, approximately 20 to 30 minutes depending on the heat of your coals. To check doneness, press a kabab gently — it should feel firm throughout with no soft or raw centre. Serve hot directly off the skewer.