This week I participated in a four-day story hop collaboration – on SUMMER BBQ Recipes – with four amazing food bloggers. From planning the session to deciding the recipe; from marinating & cooking to finding the right light for a perfect picture; from endless bloopers while posting the stories to the exciting fireworks both on the cricket ground and the independence day celebration in USA and Canada; it was definitely a super exciting and thrilling week.
Bihari kebabs are one of the most delicious and mouth-watering kebabs that have – over a period – become a major item on BBQ menus.
I have been on a quest to find the recipe for authentic Bihari kebabs – extremely succulent and melt in mouth that we get in restaurants. I have tried making these kebabs with chicken and beef; with time and experience I have evolved the recipe to recreate the perfect texture and flavour.
Bihari kebabs are made with thinly sliced fillets of meat. Marinade is prepared in mustard oil with especially homemade garam masala spice, fried onions and yogurt. Marinating plays a very important role – longer the better. They are tenderized using raw papaya and cooked on flattened skewers on a charcoal grill. If not using the charcoal grill, bake them in the oven and then give a charcoal smoke. Papaya paste is added as a tenderizing agent and not for flavour. It has to be added only 2 hrs before the cooking time, if added for a longer time, meat will get dry quickly as we grill / cook it.
The key to perfect kebabs is not to over-cook them.Bihari kebab is one of the most melt-in-mouth delicacy that defines the understanding of your cooking abilities and skills. If I have to rate any BBQ restaurant, I order their Bihari kebabs and know immediately how good the restaurant is. .
Bihari kebab is one of the most melt-in-mouth delicacy that defines the understanding of your cooking abilities and skills. If I have to rate any BBQ restaurant, I order their Bihari kebabs and know immediately how good the restaurant is.
Preparation/Marination time: 6-8hrs
Cooking time: 20m
Serving: 4 persons
Recipe:
- Beef Boneless – ½ kg, thinly sliced fillets
- Fried onion – 1
- Ginger paste – 1 tablespoon
- Mustard oil – ¼ cup
- Yogurt – ½ cup
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
- Red chili powder – 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder –
- ( ½ tsp Cumin, ½ tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp poppy seeds, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 black and 4 green cardamoms,6 cloves, 10 black pepper corns, 6 – Allspice (kabchini), ¼ tsp awjaein, nutmeg& mace& staranis – an inch [optional])
- Cumin – ½ teaspoon, roasted and grounded
- Coriander seeds – ½ teaspoon, roasted and grounded
- Raw Papaya – 2 – 3 tablespoons, pureed
Method:
- Cut boneless beef pieces diagonally into thin fillets.
- Fry onions until golden brown and dry them on a kitchen paper towel.
- In a bowl, mix yogurt with fried onions, ginger paste, salt, red chili powder, homemade garam masala, roasted cumin and coriander seeds, mustard oil.
- Add the prepared marinade in meat and mix it well.
- Allow it to rest in fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight before cooking. Add the papaya 2 hrs before cooking the kebabs.
- Thread meat fillets on the skewers. Grill on charcoal for 20- 25 mins.
- Serve with ilmi chatni, onion rings and lemon wedges.
