Beef Bihari Kebab

Succulent beef kebabs

• CuisineIndian
• CategoryBeef
• CourseStarters

Ingredients

• 1 kgBeef tenderloin
• 400 gmsOnions, sliced
• 2 tbspGinger
• 2 tbspGarlic
• 1 tbspGreen chillies
• 1 tbspChilli flakes
• 2 tspChilli powder
• 1 tspPepper
• 2 tspPaprika
• 1 tbspCoriander seeds
• 2 tspCumin seeds
• 1 tspShahjeera
• 1 tspCardamom
• 8Cloves
• 1 pieceCinnamon
• ½ tspAll spice
• 2 tbspPoppy seeds
• 2 tspGaram masala
• 1 tspSalt
• 2 tbspPapaya
• ½ cupMustard oil
• 1 cupYoghurt
• 1 tbspLemon juice

Preparation

1. Fry sliced onions in mustard oil
2. Part-freeze beef in freezer and cut into 8mm slices
3. Toast dry spices and grind
4. Wet grind remaining ingredients
5. Mix dry and wet spices and marinate meat in it for 4 hours or overnight
6. Thread on skewers and roast in a tandoor or raost in an oven

A dish traditional among the Muslims who moved to Pakistan from the state of Bihar – hence the name. And also hence the inclusion of mustard oil. A staple around Bihar, a necessity in neighbouring West Bengal but rarely found in Pak dishes.

While recipes for chicken kebabs are a chawanni a dozen, beef or lamb kebabs recipes are hard to find. I am excluding mince here – that is a cheat. But I understand why – mutton and beef are unforgiving in the tandoor. It doesn’t take much for them to turn out tough and dry. The braising process, usually used to tenderise these cuts of meat, is absent in grilling. For mutton, you have the mutton chops (or frenched cutlets) that have a very thin layer of meat and generous fat and bone to help the cooking process. But beef boti kabab and the Bihari kabab are those rare exceptions when it comes to beef.

Usually, Bihari kebab is made with the pasanda – thin slices that are cut along the grain. But I have used the beef eye fillet and cut it across the grain for good measure. An hour in the freezer turns a wobbly, hard-to-slice piece of meat into a semi-frozen piece that is as easy to slice with a sharp knife as a potato! Cut them about 8mm thick, much like a minute steak.