Seekh Kabab (skewers less) Sandwich

Kebabs are very traditional and an important part of our Pak-Afghan cuisine. We often eat a variety of kababs served in many different ways. At my home, kids will always grab their kabobs and make a burger or a wrap out of it. On the other hand, me and my husband enjoy it the traditional way by dipping it in different chutneys alongside naan or roti and a salad and sometimes rice.
To satisfy my American-born kids’ taste buds, quite often I have to combine our traditional cuisine with either Mexican, Italian, Chinese, or American cuisine. And the food in this video is proof of it. 😊

Seekh kabab (skewers less) Sandwich

2 lb 81/19 ground beef
300 g onions- grated and squeezed
5 garlic cloves- crushed
1 green chili
3 tbsp tomato paste
⅛ tsp or two pinches of baking soda
1 tbsp coriander seeds- crushed
2 tbsp cumin seeds- crushed
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp ajwain seeds
1 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
2 tsp salt
A handful of fresh mint and cilantro

For assembling:
Split rolls
Fresh mozzarella slices or yellow cheese- optional
Tomato chutney
Mint yogurt chutney
Lemon juice
Pickles of your choice

Grate the onions and squeeze their excess water. Crush garlic, green chili, mint, and cilantro in a food chopper.
Add the drained onions, green paste, tomato paste, and all the spices to the ground meat.
You can mix everything in a stand mixer using the beater attachment or knead it by hand. I prefer using a stand mixer as it gives just the right amount of kneading to the mix. Knead it well till you see a fat layer deposit on the side of the bowl. Avoid using a food processor as this will completely pulverize the meat.

Let the kabob mix marinate for an hour in the fridge. Using a muffin scoop, scoop out the mix on a platter. Wet or grease your hands and start rolling the scooped portion into long cylinders. Use a cutting board or your greased countertop for shaping the kabobs into log shapes. By rolling them back and forth on a greased surface the kabobs will have a nice firm structure.

Heat a grill pan and start grilling your kabobs. You can use a cooking spray to prevent sticking if frying in a stainless steel or non-stick pan. Grill them on a high-heat setting for no more than five minutes.
Note: If you grill for longer over low medium heat, the kabob might have a dry chewy texture.

Assemble the kabobs on your favorite split rolls by layering them with the given assembly options. Place it under the broiler for a minute to melt the top mozzarella slices. Serve alongside fries and enjoy!