Galouti

'Melt in the Mouth' Smoked Kebabs

Non-vegetarian●●●Origin AwadhPrep 1 hour, plus standing and smoking timeCook 15 minutes

These tender minced lamb patties are delicately seasoned and infused with charcoal smoke before being gently pan-fried until ultra-soft and browned.

Cardamom for smoking

0.7 gFried in ghee and placed over hot charcoal (step 4)

Green cardamom pod · Elaichilightly crushed

0.7 g4 pods

spice

Crush lightly before frying.

Everything else

Ground lamb · Keemavery finely minced

750 g

meat

Raw papaya paste · Kachcha Papita Paste

100 g

vegetable

Gram flour · Besanroasted

24 g4 tablespoons

flour

Gheeplus an extra 1 tablespoon

53 g4 tablespoons

oil/fat

Salt · Namak

to taste

salt

Method

Combine 750 g ground lamb with 100 g raw papaya paste in a bowl, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Stir 4 tbsp roasted gram flour into the meat, cover again, and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Add 1 tsp garam masala and salt to taste, mixing thoroughly until evenly distributed.
Warm a small spoonful of the 52.8 g ghee in a pan over low heat, add the cardamom for smoking, and fry for 1 to 2 minutes until reddened, then remove from the heat.
To smoke the meat, transfer the lamb to a wide pan and hollow out the centre. Set a heatproof container in the well, place glowing charcoal inside, and scatter the fried cardamom seeds along with 1 tbsp ghee over the coals. Cover tightly with a lid right away and smoke for 30 minutes, then discard the charcoal bowl.
Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions, roll each into a ball, and flatten into 2 cm (¾ inch) thick patties.
Melt the remaining ghee on a wide griddle or frying pan over very low heat. Fry the patties gently for 3 to 4 minutes, flipping once with care, then drain on paper towels.

Don't have something?

Ground lamb

Chicken
Use minced chicken (preferably dark thigh meat) at 100% of the weight. Halve the browning and simmering time; add an extra tablespoon of ghee or oil as chicken is much leaner than lamb.
Pork
Use ground pork at 100% of the weight. Cook for similar times as lamb; produces a sweeter, milder gravy without the robust gamey flavour.

Raw papaya paste

Green papaya paste
Use the same weight; blend peeled green papaya. Very close, but may be slightly weaker as a tenderiser.
Unripe papaya paste
Use the same weight; blend peeled unripe papaya. Similar, with a little more sweetness.
Raw papaya
Use the same weight; peel, deseed and blend to a paste. Fresher and stronger than a stale paste.

Gram flour

Chickpea flour
Use the same weight. Gram flour is chickpea flour, so this is an exact swap with the same nutty flavour and binding.
Plain flour
Use about 75–80% of the weight, e.g. 80 g for 100 g gram flour, and add a pinch of turmeric for colour. Less nutty and less crisp; good only for thickening or simple batters.
Rice flour
Use the same weight for crispness, but it does not bind like gram flour; mix with a little plain flour if making pakora batter.

Garam masala

Ground cumin
Use 50% of the weight mixed with equal parts ground coriander and a pinch of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground green cardamom. Sprinkle near the end for a warming finish.
Lentil stew spice mix
Use 75% of the weight. Simmer briefly in the gravy; imparts roasted warmth and complexity, though it adds a slight tang and earthy lentil undertone.

Ghee

Unsalted butter
Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.
Vegetable oil
Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.
Mustard oil
Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Green cardamom pod

Green cardamom seed
Use 35 to 40% of the total pod weight; lightly bruise the seeds before frying in oil to release their essential oils.
Ground green cardamom
Use 20 to 25% of the pod weight (about 1 generous pinch per pod); stir in toward the end of cooking so the delicate floral notes do not dissipate.
White cardamom pod
Use 1:1 by pod count or weight; crack gently before using, though it is slightly less intensely floral.

Similar dishes

Moti Kebab

Succulent Spicy Lamb

Moti Kebab tastes tangy, chilli-hot, and yogurt-rich with a drier finish, while this dish is milder, cardamom-scented, smoky, and ultra-soft.

Same: Moti Kebab shares lamb, raw papaya paste, garam masala, salt, and pan-frying with this dish.
Different: Moti Kebab uses lamb cubes and a twice-marinade of raw papaya with malt vinegar, then spiced yogurt with ginger, garlic, red chilli paste, and butter, while this dish uses ground lamb with gram flour, ghee, green cardamom, and charcoal smoke.

Sasranga

Baked Spicy Minced (Ground) Meat

Sasranga tastes tangier, richer, and sharper with fresh chilli and lime juice rather than smoky and warm-spiced like this dish.

Same: Sasranga also uses ground lamb cooked with ghee.
Different: Instead of being charcoal-smoked and pan-fried with cardamom and garam masala, Sasranga is mixed with onion, ginger, green chillies, cream, and lime juice and baked in the oven.

Paye ki Yakhni

Goats' Leg Soup

Paye ki Yakhni is a gelatinous, aromatic broth with prominent notes of fennel and cinnamon, lacking the charcoal-smoked, browned profile of this dish.

Same: Paye ki Yakhni also uses red meat cooked with ghee, salt, and green cardamom.
Different: Instead of minced lamb patties smoked with charcoal and pan-fried, Paye ki Yakhni is a simmered goat trotter broth made with browned onions, fennel seed, cinnamon stick, and cloves.

Jangli Maas

Rustic Hunter's Lamb

Jangli Maas tastes straightforwardly fiery and rich from dried chillies, lacking the warm cardamom aroma and charcoal smoke of this dish.

Same: Both dishes rely on lamb cooked with ghee and seasoned with salt.
Different: Jangli Maas slow-braises whole pieces of lamb in a large amount of fat with dried red chillies, whereas this dish pan-fries smoked patties made from ground lamb, garam masala, and green cardamom.