Seekh kebab wraps

Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in the Middle East, and now found worldwide. In English, kebabwith no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab or döner kebab served wrapped in bread with a salad and a dressing. But in the Middle East, kebab includes grilled, roasted, and stewed dishes of large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb, but depending on local tastes and taboos it may now be beef, goat, chicken, pork; fish and seafood; or even vegetarian foods like tofu. Like other ethnic foods brought by travellers, the kebab has become part of everyday cuisine in multicultural countries around the globe.(more here)

Seekh/ Shish kebabs ( aren’t they the same?) is a kebab made with ground meat mixed with spices and wrapped around skewers and grilled. Originally, they were done over fire, but they can also be recreated inside the comforts of a modern kitchen with the help of the oven.

Although this kebab is usually made with just ground meat and spices, I add a little grated carrot and fresh herbs like coriander or mint for more flavour.

I made this last week for dinner and they took their pride of place inside a tortilla along with a fresh salad. With a little sour cream , every bite of the wrap elicited ‘mmm’s. These wraps are also perfect for picnics and lunchboxes. And since they are compact and all you need to do is hold and bite into them, they are also great to pass around as you watch a so and so match

What’s needed-

For the kebabs-

500 gms of lamb mince
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tblsp of olive oil
1 medium sized carrot, grated
1/2 C of finely chopped coriander
2 tblsp cumin powder
4 tblsp low fat natural yogurt
salt to taste
8 bamboo skewers

For the wraps-

8 tortillas ( recipe for home made tortillas)
lettuce, torn
red pepper ( or orange or yellow)
cucumber
300 ml of soured cream ( or just use some greek yogurt or strained plain yogurt)

How to-

1. Soak the skewers in cold water for at least 20 minutes.
2. Pre heat the oven at 220deg C.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, ginger and garlic. Stir and cook till the onions soften. Remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl, add the mince and the rest of the ingredients, along with the cooked spices. Mix well till everything comes together nicely.



5. Divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Place one portion in one hand and pierce a skewer through it, trying to wrap the mixture around it in the shape of a sausage. Damp hands help to mould then around the skewers more easily.
6. Arrange on a rack placed over a tray to catch the drippings. Repeat the same for the rest of the portions.



7. Place the tray in the upper rack of the pre heated oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes ( or till nicely browned on all sides), turning them over a couple of times in between. Check frequently towards the end as they might burn.



8. To make the wraps, spread a little soured cream on a slightly warmed tortilla. On one half of the tortilla place some lettuce , followed by a kebab, cucumbers and peppers. Spoon a little more soured cream over them and roll it up, making sure to tuck in the sides.





9. Slice diagonally, wrap in tissue/foil and serve /pack  for taking away.

The best thing about wraps is that you gat everything in it, you can fill it with your choice of fillings and are very handy finger foods. These wraps were a delight to bite into. You bite into the soft tortilla, followed by the crunchy lettuce, cucumber and pepper and reach the succulent kebab within. It was a nice healthy dinner, and filling as well.

Want a bite?

Have a great weekend everyone!