Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Rajasthani Boti Kebab
Rajasthani Boti Kebab (Spicy Lamb Tikka on Skewers)

Rajasthani Boti Kebab

Spicy Lamb Tikka on Skewers
Non-vegetarian●●●Origin RajasthanPrep 30 minutes, plus marinating timeCook 25 minutes

Tender skewered chunks of lamb infused with a double marinade of aromatics, tangy yoghurt, mustard oil, and warming spices, then roasted until juicy and lightly charred.

First marinade aromatics

16 gStirred into the initial marinade base (step 1)
Stir together into an even paste.

Second marinade spices and aromatics

25 gWhisked into the yoghurt marinade (step 2)
Mix together until thoroughly combined.

Everything else

01
1000 g
meat
02
Butter · Makhanmelted, for basting
28 g2 tablespoons
dairy
03
30 g2 tablespoons
vegetable
04
20 g4 teaspoons
souring agent
05
18 g4 teaspoons
oil/fat
06
to taste
salt
08
31 g2 tablespoons
souring agent
09
40 g3 tablespoons
oil/fat
10
~0.3 gpinch
salt

Method

  1. In a wide bowl, blend the first marinade aromatics with 4 teaspoon vinegar, 18 g vegetable oil, and salt to taste. Add 1000 g lamb chunks and turn them over until evenly coated. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator for 2 hours.
  2. Whisk 250 g yoghurt in another bowl, then incorporate the second marinade spices and aromatics, 30.6 g lemon juice, 40.5 g mustard oil, and 0.3 g salt.
  3. Remove the lamb from the first marinade, scraping away excess liquid from each piece, and submerge the meat into the spiced yoghurt mixture. Cover and chill for an additional 3 hours.
  4. Heat an oven to 190°C (375°F) or prepare a medium-hot charcoal grill. Thread the meat onto metal skewers and roast for about 15 minutes until fully cooked through.
  5. Take the skewers off the heat and briefly let any pooled juices drip away. Lay them on a tray, brush with 28.2 g melted butter, and roast for a final 3 to 4 minutes before serving.

Don't have something?

Boneless lamb
  • Boneless lamb shoulder

    Use same weight; shoulder is well marbled and best for slow curry, with similar cooking time.

  • Boneless leg of lamb

    Use same weight; leg is leaner, so simmer 10 minutes less to avoid dryness.

  • Boneless lamb fillet

    Use same weight but simmer 15–20 minutes less; fillet is tender and cooks quickly.

Butter
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 100% of the weight. If the original recipe relies on salted table butter, add a pinch of salt to balance.

  • Ghee

    Use 80% to 85% of the weight. Ghee is pure butterfat with moisture removed; it yields a deeper, nuttier flavour and handles high heat better.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 80% of the weight for frying or tempering. The dish loses sweet dairy richness but remains glossy and light.

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.

Ginger paste
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; peel and grate very finely on a microplane or pound to a fine paste in a mortar.

  • Ginger

    Use equal weight; mince finely and crush with the flat of a knife before frying.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% of the weight; add directly with the dry spice powders, though it yields an earthier, less pungent profile.

Garlic paste
  • Garlic

    Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Red chilli paste
  • Red chilli powder

    Use about 30–40% of the paste weight, mix with water to a paste and add gradually; it is drier and hotter.

  • Fresh red chilli

    Blend deseeded fresh red chillies to the same weight as the paste; fresher, sharper heat and more moisture.

  • Kashmiri red chilli powder

    Use the same weight mixed with water; gives good red colour but much less heat, so add cayenne if needed.

Vinegar
  • White vinegar

    Use 100% of the weight directly. It delivers an identical sharp, clean acidity to curries and marinades.

  • Lemon juice

    Use 100% of the weight. Add towards the end of cooking off the heat; introduces a fruity citrus aroma rather than pungent acetic sharpness.

  • Tamarind extract

    Use 75% of the weight diluted in a splash of warm water. Gives a rich, fruity sourness and darkens the gravy.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Hung yoghurt
  • Hung natural yoghurt

    Use the same weight. The names are used interchangeably; check seasoning.

  • Greek yoghurt

    Use the same weight. It is thick enough for marinades and raitas, with a slightly sharper taste.

  • Full-fat natural yoghurt

    Use about 175% of the weight and strain through muslin for 3–4 hours to get the same thick weight.

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.

Kasuri methi
  • Ground fenugreek

    Use 20% of the weight; stir in during tempering rather than crushing over at the end, and be cautious as it turns bitter easily.

  • Fenugreek seeds

    Crush lightly and fry in the initial oil tempering, using 25% of the weight; provides bitter notes but lacks leafy aroma.

Lemon juice
  • Lime juice

    Use equal volume or weight; delivers almost identical sharp acidity with a faintly more aromatic, bitter-edged profile.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use 25% of the weight (about 1 g amchoor for 4 g juice); provides clean fruity tartness without thinning the sauce.

  • White vinegar

    Use 75% of the volume; gives direct sourness without any citrus floral fragrance.

Mustard oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use equal weight. It handles high-heat cooking well, but lacks the signature pungent, nasal heat of mustard oil.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use equal weight. Neutral in flavour, so your curry will lack the characteristic Bengali or North Indian pungent punch.

Similar dishes

Moti Kebab
Succulent Spicy Lamb
Moti Kebab offers a richer, dairy-tangy flavor without the sharp pungency of mustard oil or the herbal bitterness of kasuri methi found in this dish.
  • Same: Both recipes use twice-marinated lamb flavored with ginger, garlic, garam masala, vinegar, and butter.
  • Different: Moti Kebab is pan-fried using plain yogurt and raw papaya tenderizer, whereas this dish is roasted on skewers and includes mustard oil, lemon juice, and kasuri methi.
Maans ke Soole
Skewered Spicy Lamb Fillet
Maans ke Soole tastes more intensely smoky and onion-rich with a clove aroma, lacking the pungent mustard bite and herbal fenugreek notes of this dish.
  • Same: Like this dish, Maans ke Soole skewers and grills marinated lamb seasoned with ginger, garlic, garam masala, lemon juice, vinegar, and butter.
  • Different: Maans ke Soole uses thinly beaten lamb fillets, boiled onion paste, ghee, and clove-scented charcoal smoke, but omits the mustard oil and kasuri methi used in this dish.
Tatti Gosht
'Bamboo Curtain' Kebab
Tatti Gosht tastes sharply hot from green chilli and bright from raw onion and lemon, while this dish tastes tangier and warmer from yoghurt, mustard oil, vinegar, and garam masala.
  • Same: Tatti Gosht and this dish are both boneless lamb kebabs marinated with raw papaya paste, ginger paste, garlic paste, vegetable oil, salt, and lemon juice.
  • Different: Tatti Gosht uses green chilli paste, black pepper, coriander, and onion, while this dish uses hung yoghurt, mustard oil, butter, vinegar, red chilli paste, garam masala, and kasuri methi; it grills thin fillets rather than roasting skewered chunks.
Kashmiri Seekh Kebab
Minced (Ground) Lamb Kebabs on Skewers
Kashmiri Seekh Kebab tastes more herbal and savory from the fresh onion and coriander, without the sharp mustard pungency and acidic tang of lemon juice and vinegar in this dish.
  • Same: Both dishes feature skewered, charred lamb seasoned with ginger, garlic paste, garam masala, butter, and vegetable oil.
  • Different: Kashmiri Seekh Kebab uses minced lamb shaped with fresh onion and coriander, whereas this dish uses whole lamb chunks marinated in mustard oil, kasuri methi, vinegar, and lemon juice.