These uniquely tender, aromatic, and smoky kababs remind me of my childhood in Pakistan. The smell that emanates from the grill has everyone drooling in anticipation every time I make these. Serve them with naan, sliced red onions, tamarind chutney, and green chutney. Try this unique and ancient recipe today. You won’t regret it!
Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Marinate Time: 6 hrs
Total Time: 7 hrs
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Kababs:
- 1 1/4 pounds beef tenderloin, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick strips, about 1-1/2 X 6 inches
- 1/4 cup avocado oil
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 kiwi, peeled and quartered
- 1 1/2 tablespoons gram flour
- 1/2 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 small serrano chile pepper
- 1/4 cup mustard oil
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1/4 cup plain full fat yogurt
Whole Spices:
- 1/2 whole nutmeg seed
- 1 tablespoon whole mace
- 5 star anise pods
- 5 whole dried red Kashmiri chilies
Ground Spices:
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Step1
Pound tenderloin strips with a meat mallet until they are very thin; set aside.
Step2
Heat avocado oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry onion in the hot oil until it is a deep brown, about 5 minutes. Strain browned onion into a small bowl using a slotted spoon, and set aside to use later.
Step3
Peel kiwi, cut into quarters, and set aside in a small bowl for later.
Step4
Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, and toast gram flour until lightly browned and nutty, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a small bowl and set aside. Dry-roast poppy seeds in the same skillet until lightly brown and aromatic, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl; set aside.
Step5
In the same skillet, dry-roast nutmeg, mace, star anise, and Kashmiri chilies together until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer the whole spices and chilies to a spice grinder, and grind them to a coarse powder.
Step6
Add browned onions, kiwi, ginger paste, garlic paste, and serrano pepper to the bowl of a food processor, and grind to a paste, about 30 seconds. Pour in mustard oil, white vinegar, and yogurt and pulse the food processor until everything is well blended, about 15 seconds.
Step7
Last of all, add roasted poppy seeds, roasted gram flour, roasted ground whole spices, chili powder, cumin, garam masala, black pepper, and salt to the food processor; process marinade for 1 minute.
Step8
Spoon marinade into a resealable plastic bag and add tenderized beef strips. Seal bag and squeeze gently to coat beef on all sides with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but ideally overnight.
Step9
Remove marinated beef from the refrigerator; thread beef strips on sturdy metal skewers, packing them in tightly. Reserve any leftover marinade to baste the kababs with as they cook. This prevents them from drying out.
Step10
Preheat an outdoor grill to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C) and lightly oil the grate.
Step11
Grill kababs on the preheated grill, uncovered, for 5 minutes per side.
Step12
Reduce grill temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), cover the grill, and cook kababs for 10 minutes. Turn kebabs, brush with marinade, and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 170 degrees F (77 degrees C), about 10 minutes more. If kababs look a bit dry at any point in the cooking process, brush both sides with a little bit of avocado oil.
Step13
Remove skewers to a serving dish. Discard any uncooked marinade. Enjoy the kababs with naan, sliced red onions, tamarind chutney, and green chutney.
Cook’s Notes:
For best results, mustard oil should be used, either by itself or mixed in a 1:1 ratio with another high smoke point oil like avocado, canola, or sunflower.
The main thing in this recipe is the quality of the meat. The better the beef, the more tender your bihari kababs will be.
Most of the spices listed can be found at your local grocery store or online through Amazon.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 4 | |
| Calories 835 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 68g | 87% |
| Saturated Fat 17g | 87% |
| Cholesterol 122mg | 41% |
| Sodium 772mg | 34% |
| Total Carbohydrate 21g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | 16% |
| Total Sugars 9g | |
| Protein 37g | 74% |
| Vitamin C 53mg | 59% |
| Calcium 110mg | 8% |
| Iron 6mg | 35% |
| Potassium 866mg | 18% |