How did 'Galouti Kebab' get it's name?
One of Lucknow's most famous dishes ‘Galouti Kebab’ has a very interesting story about how it got its name.
The word 'galouti' means "the thing that melts in the mouth" and that's what it does; galaouti kebabs are so soft, they melt in the mouth.
There is, however, an interesting story behind the conception of this variant of "melt in the mouth meat".
The kebab was specially made for the ageing Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah. The Nawab had lost his set of teeth, but not his appetite for meat! At his behest, the royal kitchens came up with an ingenious way of preparing meat that was easy to go down the food pipe.
The cooks marinated finely ground meat, mixing it with unripe papaya and sprinkling a mix of erotic spices. They then fried the keema in oil/ghee. It is said that the original recipe contained a mix of more than 100 exotic spices!
A serving of Galouti Kebab is now synonymous with a trip to Lucknow. Setting foot in Lucknow and leaving without a serving of this tasty delicacy is akin to sacrilege. And we all have a Nawab with bad teeth to thank for this sumptuous dish!
As part of Ramadan special, SBS Hindi's Executive Producer Kumud Merani brings you this special recipe with Chef Parvesh Chauhan of Sydney based restaurant, Delhi 'O' Delhi!
Here's how you can enjoy this dish at home.
Ingredients:
- Lamb mince: 500 gms
- Salt: To taste
- Red chilli powder: 1tsp
- 1/2 cup Raw papaya paste
- 2 Tablespoon Finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup onions fried
- 3 Tablespoon cashew nuts/poppy seed paste
- 2 teaspoon Rose Water
- 1/2 Cup roasted gram flour
- 1/2 Cup ghee
- 1/2 gm saffron (soaked in water)
- 3 to 4 Pieces of Coal
To make Delhi ‘O’ Delhi potli masala
- Caraway seeds: 2 tsp
- Clove: 5 to 8 nos
- Mace flowers: 2 nos
- Black pepper corn: 10 to 12 nos
- Green cardamom: 8 to 10 nos
- Black cardamom: 3 to 4 nos
- Star anise: 2 nos
- Dried Rose petals :10 to 15 nos
- Nutmeg:1 no
- Kebab Chinni (cubeb in English):5 to 6 nos
- Fennel seed:2 tsp.
- Cinnamon:1 Inch
Method
- Grind all the spices to make Delhi ‘O’ Delhi potli masala to a fine powder
- Add the potli masala and all the ingredients in the mince and mixing evenly
- Make a well in the mince and put the heated coal in a small bowl adding 3 each cloves and cardamom and a teaspoon of ghee for the smoke to give it a smoky flavours by putting transparent lid for at least 10 mins.
- Remove the lid and the bowl (be careful of the hot bowl) and keep the mince in the fridge covering for at least two hours
- Make patties of medium sized
- Heat oil in a nonstick pan or a grill and cook them evenly turning both sides.
