Bun Kabab

Ingredients

• 400 g beef mince, not too lean
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 150 ml water, for cooking the mince
• 1 medium potato (about 150 g), boiled and peeled
• 3 tbsp gram flour (besan), dry roasted until fragrant
• 3 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 3 eggs, for coating
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• 5 tbsp vegetable oil, for shallow frying
• 6 burger buns
• 2 tbsp butter, for toasting the buns
• 1 large onion, sliced into thin rings
• 2 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 cup fresh coriander, packed, for the chutney
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves, packed, for the chutney
• 2 green chillies, for the chutney
• 3 tbsp thick yogurt, for the chutney
• 1 tbsp lemon juice, for the chutney
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup, for spreading

Instructions

1. Put the mince, ginger-garlic paste, chopped green chillies, salt, red chilli, coriander, cumin, garam masala and 150 ml water in a wide saucepan. Break up the mince with a spoon, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat until the meat is completely tender.
2. Uncover, raise the heat to medium and stir until all the liquid has evaporated and the mince looks dry and crumbly. Leave it to cool for 10 minutes.
3. While the mince cools, blend the chutney: process the coriander, mint, 2 green chillies, yogurt, lemon juice and a pinch of salt with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon.
4. Grind the cooled mince in a food processor to a fine, sticky texture. Add the boiled potato, roasted gram flour, chopped coriander and mint, and pulse until it holds together when pressed. If it feels wet, add another spoonful of roasted gram flour.
5. Divide into 6 portions and shape into round patties about 10 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick, slightly larger than the buns because they shrink. Chill on a plate for 10 minutes so they firm up.
6. Beat the eggs with the black pepper and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
7. Dip a patty in the egg on both sides, let the excess drip off, and lay it in the hot pan. Fry 3 to 4 patties at a time, about 3 minutes per side, until the egg coating is golden and the centre is piping hot (at least 71°C). Add oil between batches as needed and drain on paper towels.
8. Wipe the pan, melt the butter over medium heat and toast the cut sides of the buns for about 1 minute until lightly golden.
9. Spread ketchup on the bottom buns and chutney on the tops. Layer a patty, onion rings and tomato slices, close the bun and serve straight away.

Tips

• Cook the mince until it is really dry. Extra moisture makes the patties crumble when you dip them in egg.
• Roasting the gram flour removes its raw taste and helps bind the mixture without making it heavy.
• Fry over medium heat, not high. The patty needs time to heat through before the egg coating darkens.
• For a street-style finish, add a fried egg on top of each patty or a spoonful of tamarind chutney.