Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Seekh Kebab
249 kcal a serving, against 487 for the traditional version. That is 238 kcal off, or 49%, with 31.4g of protein. Serves 6. 40 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Fatty lamb mince heavily spiced with cumin, coriander and chilli, often mixed with extra oil to guarantee moisture. The meat is moulded onto thick metal skewers and cooked over white-hot coals until the fat spits and drips, shrinking the kebab into a dense, greasy sausage.
What changed, and what each change costs
900g of standard fatty lamb mince for 900g of lean lamb
Standard lamb mince is notoriously fatty, which is great for a barbecue but terrible for a regular Tuesday dinner. I pulse diced lean lamb down in a food processor myself. I control exactly what goes in.
What it costs you. You lose that dripping, intensely rich mouthfeel. Call it a firmer, meatier bite that makes you chew a bit more rather than a greasy takeaway skewer anymore and you'll be about right.
100g of chopped onion for 300g of finely grated onion
Lean meat dries out instantly under a hot grill. By grating a huge pile of onion and mixing it through the meat, you build an internal basting system. The onion steams from the inside out, keeping the lamb soft.
What it costs you. It takes more effort. You absolutely have to squeeze the excess water out of the grated onion first. If you don't, your mixture will be waterlogged and slide straight off the skewers.
30g of vegetable oil down to 10g
Takeaway kebabs are often brushed heavily with oil as they cook to get that blackened, blistering crust. Because the grated onion provides the moisture, you only need a tiny wipe of oil on the outside.
What it costs you. You miss out on the deep-fried texture that you get when fat heavily coats the outside of the meat. The char here is a bit drier and less aggressive.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 487 | 249 |
| Protein | 25.6g | 31.4g |
| Fat | 40.5g | 10g |
| Saturated fat | 16g | 3.1g |
| Carbohydrate | 3.9g | 7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.2g | 12.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
The method is in the book
This is a sharp, heavily spiced kebab that relies on technique rather than sheer fat to stay juicy. The grated onion trick works brilliantly to baste the lean meat from the inside. You miss out on the heavy, greasy takeaway slick, but in return you get a massive portion of highly flavoured lamb that won't put you to sleep. It does exactly what I need it to do.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback