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Suti kabab
সুতি কাবাব (suti kabab): Old Dhaka's soft spiced beef kebab held on the skewer with cotton thread
Suti means thread, and that is the trick of this Old Dhaka speciality: the beef is scraped and pounded so fine that it would slide off a skewer, so the kebab-maker winds cotton thread around it before it goes over the charcoal. The stalls of Beribadh and Nazimuddin Road grill them through the evening during Ramadan iftar and at weekends, and the result is a long, soft, smoky kebab that almost melts, eaten with paratha, sliced onion and lime. Raw papaya and roasted gram flour hold and tenderise the meat, and fried onions give a sweet depth. Too much lean meat is the most common error, because without some fat the kebab turns dry and crumbly. Chef's tip: wet your hands before shaping and chill the shaped skewers for 20 minutes, so they keep their shape when the thread goes on.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the kebab
- 1 ⅓ lb beef mince, about 20% fat
- 1 tbsp raw green papayagrated and pounded to a paste
- 2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp garlic paste
- 4 tbsp crisp fried onionscrushed
- 2 tbsp gram flour (besan)dry-roasted until nutty
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 /4 tsp grated nutmeg
- 2 green chilliesvery finely chopped
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oilfor basting
You will need
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅓ lb beef mince, about 20% fat in a food processor with 1 tbsp raw green papaya, 2 tsp ginger paste, 2 tsp garlic paste and 1 ½ tsp salt and blitz for 2–3 minutes until it becomes a smooth, sticky paste.
10 minStep 2: Add 4 tbsp crisp fried onions, 2 tbsp gram flour (besan), 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 /4 tsp grated nutmeg and 2 green chillies and pulse to combine. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
3 minStep 3: With wet hands, press an eighth of the paste along each of the 8 flat metal skewers or thick bamboo skewers soaked in water into a long, even sausage about 2 cm thick, and chill the skewers on a tray for 20 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Wind 2 m plain white cotton kitchen thread (undyed) loosely in a spiral around each kebab from end to end, tying it off at both ends; it should hug the meat without cutting into it.
10 minStep 5: Heat a charcoal grill, an overhead grill or a ridged griddle pan to a medium-high heat and brush the kebabs with 3 tbsp mustard oil or neutral oil.
2 minStep 6: Grill for 10–12 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes and basting with the remaining oil, until browned all over and a thermometer in the centre reads 160°F.
12 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 32 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 29 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does suti kabab take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ginger paste?
- Grated fresh ginger, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic paste?
- 1 crushed garlic clove per ½ tsp.
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