Gola Kebab with Tamarind Chutney :

If you visit a Pakistani restaurant, there is always a long list of different kinds of kebabs on the menu. All of them sound so intriguing and delicious that its hard to pick one. These are mostly inspired by Central Asian and Moghul cuisines and modified according to the local taste.

Gola kebabs are obviously named so because of their round shape. A very unique blend of spices, caramelised onions, gram flour and poppy seeds gives them a deep, rich flavour like no other kebabs have. Traditionally served with tamarind chutney and onion rings, these are usually cooked on special occasions. Tamarind chutney provides a nice balance of sweet and sour to the rich taste of these kebabs. But if you can’t find tamarind where you live, these can also be served with mint yogurt Raita.

For Gola Kebab :

1 kg chicken mince
4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
2 green chilli peppers
2 tablespoons gram flour ( besan)
2 tablespoons poppy seeds ( kushkash)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds ( til)
1 teaspoon mace ( jawatri)
1 nutmeg ( jaifal)
4 cloves (lowng)
1 heaped spoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
2 medium onions, sliced
4 tablespoons oil to fry the onions
( more 1/2 cup if pan frying the kebabs)

This Is What You Do :

Add gram flour, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, mace, nutmeg, cloves, salt and red chillies to a dry mill and grind to make a dry spice mix.

Heat a frying pan on medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons oil, fry onions till golden and crisp. Drain oil on a kitchen towel.

Add ground meat, ginger, garlic, green chilli peppers, dry spice mix and crisp onions to the food processor and mix till everything comes together like stiff dough.

Wet your hands, make roundish balls with the mince mix. At this stage you can either pan fry them or grill them on an open fire.

For Pan Frying, add 1/2 cup oil to a large frying pan and cook chicken kebabs on medium low heat for 8-10 minutes , rotating frequently till they are golden brown on all sides. Insert wooden skewers through them for easier handling and serve hot.

For grilling on open fire, thread them on square metallic skewers, and grill on steady heat for 8-10 minutes, brushing frequently with ghee ( clarified butter) or vegetable oil to keep them moist and juicy. Serve hot with with fresh salad, tamarind chutney and naan or pratha.

For Tamarind Chutney :

1 cup tamarind
2 cups water
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch piece ginger
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons brown sugar

This Is What You Do :

Soak tamarind in 2 cups water and heat in the microwave for 1+1/2 minutes OR boil on stove for 2-3 minutes.

Let the water come to room temperature. Remove the stones by squishing the pulp with your fingers.

Add pulp, soaking water and all the other ingredients except corn flour to the blender. Make a smooth purée.

Pour the purée into a small sauce pan, let simmer for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Dilute corn flour with a little water. Add to the purée, keep stirring till it thickens to coat the back of the spoon.

Let it it cool down, tastes great with kebabs and fritters.

Makes 25 kebabs