Bun Kabab Recipe – Pakistani

When i was  kid I really thought Bun Kababs were made out of beef. Now while some are, the quintessential Karachi Bun Kabab is a made up of daal . Apparently, Bun Kabab as we know them today were a product of frugality. Street vendors or poor  who could not afford the price of meat created these patties where the daal is spiced in the same meaty manner as a great Shami Kabab, to create a dish avid carnivores would love. Well and  they had me fooled.

What Goes in a Bun Kabab?

Now few people make Bun Kababs wrapped in a proper omelette, others layer theirs with coleslaw, some with cucumbers and tomatoes. Some people use  ketchup along with chutneys, some people make theirs with one chutney. One chutney appealed to me, but when I suggested the idea my foodie friends on social media  were overwhelmingly against the idea. Subsequent taste testing has led me to believe they were right. yaaww .

• a nice soft bun, I use Pav Bhaji buns, but you can use any bun you like
• imli chutney
• a green yoghurt based chutney
• a lentil patty, dipped in an egg wash and fried
• red onions – soaked in water to tone them down
  

  Imli Chutney for Bun Kababs

  I have  tried several iterations of tamarind chutneys to get this one right. It had to have some body, the right amount of tartness, a note of sweet to balance the earthiness of the daal kabab. Finally I found that the combination of tamarind, mint, cilantro, a little brown sugar and some spice made for a balanced chutney that didn’t make the bun soggy (very important!).

  Green Chutney for Bun Kababs

  This one I kept simple with green chilies, cilantro, garlic, yoghurt and salt. Why mess with perfection you know?

  tip which help you more : anytime you are making a yoghurt based chutney you need to only blend a portion of the ingredients with the yoghurt. Whisk the remaining yoghurt in after so your chutney does not become too much watery.

  The Lentil Patty aka Daal Kabab

  The lentil patty in this recipe is made out of only daal. I loved the substantial (dare I say meaty one more time?) heft of the patty when made this way. I have heard of mashed potatoes etc. being added in, but I kept it as easy as possible.

  The daal is soaked and boiled with ginger, garlic, spices and then dried out. From there on it goes into the food processor to become a thick paste and after that all you do is stir in some fresh herbs and onion.

  The Coating of the Daal Kabab

  In the process of battering of the kababs, I have tried several approaches. With the making an omelette and wrapping an egg in it I didn’t love what it did to the flavour of the kabab. Also omelettes cool fast and are not my favourite. Many recipes advocated dunking the kabab in a meringue, but that again it is  seemed to fussy and not worth it. Instead, I whipped two egg whites and one full egg together with some enthusiasm, dunked and fried.

  The two KEY elements of a great Bun Kabab

  1.) Crunch. However you get it, a Bun Kabab needs it. I opted for some red onion spirals, and took the aggressiveness out of the onions by soaking them in cold water for 15 minutes.

  2.) PAN TOASTED BUNS: Is capitalization here excessive? I think not. To get that amazing traditional Bun Kabab flavour and prevent your bun from getting soggy, you must pan fry BOTH sides of your bun. I know this is a lot of caps, but trust me on this.

  Now you can butter your bread and then give it a few minutes on each side, or you can go old school and let a little oil do the trick. Up to you.

  Bun Kabab

  a substantial, spiced, balanced vegetarian burger that is classic street food.

  Equipment

  • 1 large pot for boiling the daal
  • mini blender/ food processor for chutneys
  • food processor for making the daal kababs

  Ingredients

  Daal Kabab

  • 1.5 cup chanay ki daal (gram lentils) (soaked for a few hours)
  • 2.5 cup water
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp ginger paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder (cayenne)
  • 1 tsp chili flakes
  • ½ cup diced onion
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 green chili
  • 5-6 mint leaves
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 2 eggs plus one white, whipped together for battering (optional)

  Imli Chutney

  • ⅓ cup imli paste
  • 1 tsp red chili flakes
  • 1 tsp chaat masala powder
  • 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • ⅓ tsp salt
  • 1 green chili
  • ¾ cup chopped cilantro
  • ½ cup mint leaves

  Green Chutney

  • ¼ cup mint leaves
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves
  • ½-3/4 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 +2 tbsp plain yoghurt
  • 1 green chilies
  • a squeeze of lemon juice

  Assembly

  • 16 buns
  • 2-3 red onions sliced into thin rings, submerge in cold water

  Instructions

  Daal Kababs

  • you have to Combine all the ingredients from the Daal through to the ½ cup onion in a pot, bring to a boil and simmer until the daal is cooked through. This takes 35-45 minutes but requires no active cooking.
  • now Turn up the heat and dry the daal up until the moisture is completely gone.
  • now chop  your onion, chili, cilantro, and mint through a food processor (or chop finely)
  • then, Remove the herby mix and replace it with the daal, pureeing until a thick shapeable mixture forms.
  • you need to Add the chopped mix from earlier, a squeeze of lemon juice, pulse a few times and adjust for seasoning.
  • Shape into 16 kababs or according to the size of your buns.
  • after that you need to Whip your eggs well to give them some body, dip each kabab in the eggs and fry for 1.5-2 minutes on each side on medium heat, pressing lightly.

  Imli Chutney

  • Blend all the ingredients in a blender, adjust for seasoning.

  Green Chutney

  • Blend all the ingredients (but only 2 tbsp yoghurt) in a blender. Once it’s combined whisk the other two tbsp in with a fork, adjust for seasoning.

  Assembly

  • Heat your bans on a hot pan on both sides, lightly greasing the pan if needed
  • now you have to Place a dollop of imli chutney on the bottom bun, place the kabab, then the onions, then the green chutney and the top bun.

  Notes

  Notes: these kababs freeze very well so you can prep them ahead of time and make the chutneys a day or so before you need them. They will be good for a week.

  Chutneys: Both recipes make enough for bun kababs but if you want some to serve on the side then double the imli chutney. Also, if you don’t feel like making two chutneys that one is the way to go! ALSO share your opinion about this below in comments.