KEEMA KOFTA OR SHAME

Keema kofta or shami

Ingredients:

• Boneless Lamb (or) Minced Lamb - 500 gms
  • onions – 2 large, roughly chopped
  • Chana Dal – 1 cup (pre-soaked for 1 hour and drained)
  • Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
  • green chili     10 roughly chopped
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala powder- 1 tsp
  • Cinnamon sticks/Dalchini – one 4 cm long stick
  • Salt – 2 tsp
  • garlic paste – 2 tbsp
  •  
  • Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
  • Cilantro – 1 cup, roughly chopped

1.      In a pressure cooker at medium high heat, pour half cup water, and add lamb,chana dal, turmeric powder,  green chili salt, cumin seeds, and ginger garlic paste and cinnamon stick. Mix well. Close the lid and let it pressure cook until the meat is tender. Later, open the lid and let it cook until all the liquid has evaporated and it is mostly a dry mixture. There should be no water in the mixture left. This is important, else you will not be able to properly shape them later on and they will end up cracking while you shallow fry them in the end.
2. Let the mixture cool down. Once cool, remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Add the mixture to a food processor. put in the cilantro, garam masala green chili, lemon juice and process without adding any water until smooth and pasty paste. The mixture is ready.

 prepare Shaami: or kofta

3      Wash your hands clean. Take a small amount of cool water/oil into a cup. Take the above prepared meat mixture, the size of a golf ball into your hands. Dipping your right hand fingertips into the water, shape the mixture into a oblong diamond shaped Shaami(as shown in the picture above). Keep aside. Continue preparing Shaami kofta  until you get the number of Shaami or kofta you need.
4. In a small frying pan at medium high heat, pour little oil and shallow fry the Shaami kofta until crisp dark brown on each side.      

              Shallow fry them in batches and serve warm. Shape them into Shaami or Shikampur or Kofta and shallow fry them to serve them with rice or roti.