My Mom's Kebabs

[livius drusus]

I told Clutch I'd post my mom's kebab recipe before the weekend, so here it is.

Many a year ago, when the world was still new and I was even more spoiled and annoying than I am now, my mom and several of her friends took a Pakistani cooking class from another friend of theirs. My dad had lived in Pakistan for a some time before they were married and he loved the food, so when the friend offered to teach this informal class after a dinner party where all had raved over her skills, my mother jumped at the chance.

Little livius, however, was not so pleased. She was downright disgruntled, in fact, because she hated spicy (as in hot) food, and Pakistani food is very frequently spicy as all git out. But even amid all the evil curries, there was one bright shining star of fabulous: the kebabs.

Not to be confused with the shish variety, the guys are like small football shaped meatballs. They're easy to make, are delicious hot, warm or cold straight out of the fridge, will keep for ages without loosing yumminess and go perfectly with a wide range of sides.

Mamma Livius' Kebabs

1 kilo (a little over 2 pounds) very lean ground beef
6 slices white bread, crusts cut off
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tblsp garlic powder
3 Tblsp ginger powder
1 Tlsp chili powder
2-3 onions (yellow or white), minced
canola oil

Wet the bread slices, squeeze out the liquid and add the resulting grossness to the beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with your hands (of course).

Put a dollop of the mixture on your palm and close your fist to make the characteristic football shapes. They should be pleasantly plump since they will shrink when you fry them up. Skinny ones get dry. A kilo of beef will make around 3 dozen kebabs.

In a large frying pan, heat up about a quarter inch of canola oil. Add the kebabs in batches, ensuring that each of them has enough personal space for the sides to cook well. Brown on one side. Flip over. Brown on the other.

Put them on paper towels to drain. Once they're no longer shiny with lipids, you can serve right away of refrigerate them for lating reheating or not. My mom serves them with plain basmati rice, plain yogurt and mango or green apple chutney.

Honestly, my favorite way to eat them is cold out of the fridge dipped into a vat of yogurt. Don't even bother with the plate.

[Clutch Munny]

Not to question your mom, but you mean an inch of oil? Iddnat going to almost submerge the little football dingers?

[LadyShea]

What kind of yogurt do you dip them in? Would they be good in a pita ya think?

[livius drusus]

Question on, MacDuff. She said an inch, but you're right, in the pan itself the oil goes no higher than halfway up the footballs, like maybe a quarter inch. I've gone ahead and modified the OP just in case somebody actually prints it out or something.

Just for the record, I blame American measurements.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

What kind of yogurt do you dip them in? Would they be good in a pita ya think?

I use plain, whole milk yogurt (Stonyfield organic is my brand of choice). I've also scared up a little Greek cucumber yogurt sauce to go with, even though of course that's not strictly according to Pakistani Hoyle.

I'd hesitate just to toss the kebabs by themselves into a pita. It would be a little uninteresting, I think, and I'd rather just have the kebabs alone and ditch the bread altogether if that was my only option.

You could totally make like a Pakisgyro, though, using one of those pocketless pitas. A little shredded lettuce, a little tzatziki spooge, a lot of kebabage would make sweet, sweet music together, I bet.

[Skep]

Sounds like these little footballs of joy could be used in a spaghetti and meatballs dish.

* Skep flees flying bricks from liv\'s direction.

[livius drusus]

Oh that's it. You're gonna get it now.

[Legs]

Hi liv, nice story about your childhood

I had an Indian neighbour that would always serve these... they looked like mice on a stick. Delicious though.

liv, I almost started a thread on Curry the other day, I love curries and would eat anything if you curried it.. yum

Last weekend I made Singapore Noodles, which if you don't know are a vermicelli with shrimp, pork, egg, chicken & onions in a mild curry sauce.

[Crumb]

Originally Posted by livius drusus

... Pakisgyro, ... pocketless ... tzatziki spooge, ... kebabage ...

Admit it, you are just making these words up aren't you?

[livius drusus]

Some of them. Don't act like you don't love it.

[pescifish]

It's the humors, you know. We've all got a touch of it.

[Crumb]

I think I have too much bile, or maybe I have been looking at legs' avatar again...

[MooseIBe]

they sound GOOD, apart from the part about doing revolting things with soggy bread. I will give em a try sometime soon I think. I am SO up for anything hot, spicy or that uses lots of chilis.

Actually, just to gross those of you who don't like hot food out, I went to a continental market this weekend and bought a container full of chillis in some kind of vinegarette dressing .. ate em straight out the tub. Absolutely delicious...

[viscousmemories]

This thread bump is bittersweet given Skep and pesci's passing, but I know they would've appreciated these delicious kebabs. Liv recommended that I make them for a "finger food" potluck we're having at work tomorrow so I did. The few I've sampled were delicious - I'm looking forward to trying them dipped in the Greek yogurt I bought for the purpose.

[livius drusus]

They look perfect and delicious. You've inspired me to make some myself. Doubtless Skep and pesci would be drooling along with Homer.