Coal-smoked Bihari beef kebabs

Name: Coal-smoked Bihari beef kebabs
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 200g/7oz/scant 1 cup whole plain yogurt; 1 red onion, ground into a paste; 1/2 red onion, cut into half moons and fried until medium brown; 1 tsp garam masala see here; 1 tsp ginger paste (traditionally Biharis don’t use garlic in this recipe, but you can if you like add 1/2 tsp puréed garlic); 1 tbsp raw papaya paste (if you cannot find that, substitute with either 1 tbsp papaya powder or 1 tsp meat tenderiser); 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp ground dry-roasted cumin seeds; 1 tsp ground dry-roasted coriander (cilantro) seeds salt, to taste; 2–3 tbsp mustard seed oil; 1 kg/2 1/4 lb chuck steak, cut into bite-sized cubes; To garnish; 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced; handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped 1 lemon, cut into wedges; Equipment for smoking; quick-light coal – for smoking, you will also need a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, a small piece of bread, ghee see here and matches

5 steps

Bihari kebabs found their way into Pakistani cuisine through the migration of Bihari Muslims from the north Indian state of Bihar when Pakistan formed in 1947. A firm favourite of mine, they can be made using the best beef fillet or chuck steak, tenderised using raw payaya, then infused with coal smoke using the method called ‘dhuni’. They’re eaten with rice and lentils by Biharis, and with paratha flatbreads by most other Pakistanis.

Updated at: Sat, 11 May 2024 22:32:28 GMT

Ingredients

12 servings

0.5red onion

cut into half moons and fried until medium brown

1 tspgaram masala

1 tspginger paste

traditionally Biharis don’t use garlic in this recipe, but you can if you like add 1/2 tsp puréed garlic

1 Tbsppapaya paste

raw, if you cannot find that, substitute with either 1 tbsp papaya powder or 1 tsp meat tenderiser

1 tspred chilli powder

1 tspground dry-roasted cumin seeds

1 tspground dry ro sted coriander

- a lan

seeds salt

to taste

2 Tbspmustard seed oil

1kgchuck steak

cut into bite-sized cubes

0.5red onion

thinly sliced

coriander leaves

1lemon

chopped, cut into wedges

bread

small

Instructions

Step 1

Put the yogurt into a large bowl and add all the other ingredients, except the beef. Whisk together with a fork to combine, then add the meat and turn until it is coated in the yogurt mixture. Cover and allow to marinate in the

Step 2

fridge for 1 hour. Meanwhile, soak several wooden skewers in a bowl of water to prevent them burning during cooking.

Step 3

Light a barbecue, if using, or preheat a griddle pan. Thread the meat on to the soaked skewers and either barbecue or cook on the griddle pan for about 10 minutes until cooked.

Step 4

If you’re not cooking on the barbecue, but you want to give it a smoky flavour, use the coal smoking (dhuni) method. Once the meat is cooked, put the skewers into a large saucepan with a lid, put the bread in the middle of the pan, then put the coal on top of the bread and pour 1 tablespoon ghee over the top. Heat the pan and as soon as it starts to smoke, cover with a lid and allow the smoke to infuse.

Step 5

Serve with sliced onions and garnished with chopped coriander and lemon wedges.