Special National’s Bihari Kabab Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2.5 pounds (1 kg) very tender beef (cut into 1″ thick strips)
  • 2 large onions (sliced)
  • 2 tbsps. vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
  • 1 cup yogurt
  • 2 tbsps. garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 2 tsp. National cumin powder
  • 2 tsps.National coriander powder
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. National red chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp. star anise powder
  • 1/2 tsp. mace powder
  • 2 tbsps. raw papaya paste
  • Salt to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Fry the onions in the oil until they are soft. Drain them on paper towels. Use a food processor or mortar and pestle to grind them into a smooth paste.

     

  2. Mix the onion paste and all the spices (garlic paste, ginger paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground black pepper, red chili powder, star anise powder, mace powder, but not the papaya paste) with the yogurt and add the beef strips to this mix. Add salt to taste and set aside for 8 to 10 hours in the refrigerator.

     

  3. Add the raw papaya paste to the yogurt and beef mix about 1 hour before you are ready to cook the kabab. The papaya paste will tenderize the meat and you do not want it to chili for more than an hour.

     

  4. Thread 8 to 10 beef strips onto each skewer and grill them until they are browned and cooked to your desired level.

     

  5. Serve immediately with piping hot naan (tandoor-cooked Indian flatbread).

     

You can use raw, grated papaya if you don’t have papaya paste available. The papain enzyme in papaya breaks down the meat to tenderize it. Note also that mustard oil is a traditional part of this dish. You can give the meat skewers a brief saute in mustard oil before placing them on the grill.