Seekh Kebabs are made in different ways, everyone has their own recipe and variations are possible, rather natural so if I tell you a recipe someone else might say, no its not like this. So, be prepared for that kinda objection or criticism. I am used to this kinda criticism.

The most important aspect of any dish is the quality of ingredients. Therefore, when you are buying meat or spices, do not compromise on quality. Remember quality meat or quality product has a price and you have to pay for that.

People make seekh kebabs with ground meat (keema) and they also make it from boti or cubes. I prefer the later but that needs to be cooked and you have to Peeso it on the Sill Butta before adding the ingredients.

For one kilo of meat without fat
I cup fried onions crushed after frying
2 table spoon of ground ginger paste
half cup vegetable oil
half cup yogurt
Red chilli powder and SALT as desired
Garam Masala powder 1 1/2 table spoon full
For keema you need meat tenderizer powder 1 table spoon full, or raw papaya paste 2 table spoon full
Mix it well and you need to marinate it over night or at least 10-12 hours

Use flat seekhs not spikes or even the very thick ones just the flat ones
When you are rolling the kebabs on the seekh, keep your hand wet with water each time that will keep the kebabs firm
I prefer charcoal grill and seldom use gas grill
So, when you are grilling on charcoal, you must let the flame settle down and the ash to appear on the charcoal
Place the seekh kebabs on it in such a way that it does not touch anything but, it must be at least 4~5 inches above the charcoal
Let it simmer slowly without giving any air to the charcoal, keep rotating it gently so that they don’t fall off from the seekh
When they are ready take a chapati and hold the kebab in it and pull out the seekh, the kebab must come out like a sausage BUT
It must remain smooth and silky unlike the rubbery sausage.
Rampuri’s always dip their kebab in a bowl of Aslee Ghee or Butter and take it out instantly before serving.
It sounds like its too heavy but, that’s the way they like it aaanhaan aaahaaan!

I always knew you were a senior Corporate Banker in Dubai, UAE and this is so obvious not only from your financial but also general knowledge. Plus so many times we also talked about BCCI, ex-bankers/ colleagues, and other related issues.

On the other hand, I am sorry, if it came out as I didn’t know this, but actually my confusion and misunderstanding came from reading the ‘foot-note’ of your above comment no. 75 and I thought that may be you were doing your ‘Shouqia-Cooking’ in Dubai.

Anyhow, it is now clear that this restaurant was in Canada and not Dubai.

Your family, relatives and friends are lucky that you cook for them and they can enjoy the food.

As I said earlier, I think I will one day have to visit Canada to have the honour and privilege of enabling my taste-buds to be lucky enough to enjoy your love-drenched and passionately cooked gourmet cuisine.

I know, Yeh Thora Ziyada Hee formal Ho Gaya Hai, but Chalta Hai.

Aahhh … How much I wish that I should have met you while you were still in Dubai and I would have eaten free at your restaurant.

But, Lagta Hai Aub Tumhara Khana Khnay Kay Leeye Canada Ki Ticket Khurch Kar Kay Waheen Hee Aanay Paray Ga.

If you even write about food with so much love & passion, I wonder what would be your passion when actually cooking.

One suggestion for you, there is a food-only TV channel in Pakistan called, “Masala TV” and they have so many good Chefs & Cooking-experts, if you can get this channel you will enjoy it. One of the best Chefs are – Chef Zakir and Chef Gulzar, both men and both great cooks.

If you could not get Masala channel in Canada, at least you will be able to check them out on YouTube for sure.

About cooking: Of course I cook with a lot of passion and take pride in my cooking and, I have written on many food blogs and even here at legslip’s Bavarchi Khana that, ‘cooking is one of the sweetest pleasure in life, it releases stress’ and imo it not only gives satisfaction to your appetite but, it also gives satisfaction to your eyes in the sense that before you eat the food, you garnish it and look at it before serving then you feel satisfied by its presentation, if not then you add a touch or two to make it more presentable, just like the artists do after completing their paintings. I do that to every dish:

1. A daal dish is just a daal dish if you serve it plain, but when you garnish it with coriander and give a tarka, not only it looks good but, tastes good. And, every daal has a different kinda tarka and garnishing, example White Mash Daal must have chopped green chillies and chopped green coriander leaves with a tarka of golden brown onions. You can mix a little bit of butter in the oil while frying the onions and it tastes even better. The Hyderabadi Khatti daal needs a tarka of cumin seeds (zeera) green curry leaves and crushed red chillies and a few slices of freshly chopped garlic.

2. A fruit drink is a just a drink but when you mix the fruit juices or real fruit then make sure they blend well not just in the liquidizer but they need to be compatible. For e.g., Guava juice can be blended with a banana. Mango juice goes well with lychee juice or real lychees in the blender. Pine Apple juice with coconut Milk (not coconut cream) and all these drinks when garnished with either a fine thin slice of orange, mint leaves, cherry etc., looks great.

3. Baked, grilled or fried fish is just an ordinary looking dish until and unless you place lettuce leaves under it and decorate it on the sides with sliced tomatoes, sliced avocado, hash browns or, grilled potatoes with a few nice colourful veges such as red, orange, green capsicum etc. If it is not a desi style fish I add fruits to the baked and grilled fish e.g., you can add a couple of slices of Mango or, Papaya. Even apple, pear and cherries but, they need to be steamed, stewed and glazed.

The list could be very long but, without garnishing the dish if you keep it on the dinner table, at least I lose my appetite by 50%. And, you have to be creative and imaginative when you are cooking and garnishing (giving final touches) a dish. The same goes with desserts and cakes. Everyone knows how to garnish a cake but, the desi desserts? Not everyone bothers but, I do. There are lots of ways to garnish our halwas with, nuts, fruits, fresh cream etc., and these are the simplest ways to make our desi desserts look more presentable and mouth watering.

I cook or rather work very fast in the kitchen and you have to be patient when you are cooking especially the culinary recipes. You must have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking because there are times when you have to add certain ingredients at the right time, or else you burn them or the spices remain uncooked and you can tell the “kuccha masala smell” there is a very fine and delicate balance in our cuisine unlike others because, we use more spices than others. So, one needs to know what is the right balance and when is the right time to add certain spices and how much time you need to roast the spices (bhoonoe them) before you add the main ingredients.

Javed Khan … are you ‘passionate’ about your cooking

Read this interesting article.

http://en.news.maktoob.com/20090000775376/New_survey_sheds_light_on_most_passionate_cooks_in_Asia/Article.htm