Toothless Nawab’s Shami Kebab

One of the softest patties, Shami Kebab has the magic to instantly melt in your mouth with a single bite and has something for us as well. Mughlai or Mughal cuisine is the heart of North Indian cooking. With its rich and mouth-watering dish, it also serves us a platter of equally interesting history behind its inception.

Soft Shami Kebab with coriander. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

The golden-brown colour of the mutton patty swoons you into a whirlpool of emotions; the crispy texture tempts you to touch it and as soon as you do, it falls in crumbles; the silky-smooth essence and the wide variety of flavours you taste when it enters your mouth is a love story with a perpetual happy ending. And to add roomali roti and green chutney to the mix, it is heaven right here on Earth.

Mughlai cuisine has its variations in different parts of India. While Deccan cuisine would have its own distinctive taste based on its regionality, the North has something completely different to offer. Mughlai cuisine is an amalgamation of the indigenous subcontinental flavours with Persian and Turkish influences.

The cooking is slow, and with each passing hour, the taste enriches as it mixes with various herbs and spices under low heat. Each dish has an interesting legend or story behind it. They were either created to fulfil the nostalgia of some rulers, while some were created in accordance with the health conditions of some.

There is a legend related to the inception of Shami Kebab. The long-standing minarets of Uttar Pradesh and the bustling streets were where we found Shami Kebab. It is believed that there was a noble in the Mughal court who lived in Uttar Pradesh. Being a big-time foodie, he couldn’t resist the lip-smacking dishes his chef curated for him. However, with age and his eating habits, he lost his teeth. Unable to forget the feeling of eating mushy and soft meat with perfectly minced dishes, he challenged his chef to cook a dish for him that he could eat without any compromise in its taste.

The chef, too, was not ready to give up. He took the challenge and decided to create one of the softest beef patties in the world. That led to the creation of Shami Kebab. The term "Shami Kebab" has various etymological reasoning. One is that Shami means "Shaam" or "night" in Persian. Hence, making it a dinner snack. Another explanation can be related to the fragrance of it called shamama.

These kebabs were initially made up of beef. However, now you can find a variety of mutton, and chicken with chickpea as the binding component. A whole range of spices like black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves are used with garlic and ginger. The meat is cooked with a special technique, making sure that it doesn’t become a paste.

Shami Kebab is one of the dominant snacks in north India. Getting to know about its interesting history makes the dish even more fun, Isn't it?