The 1000-Year History Of The Kebab On Your Plate
Ibn Battuta, the famous Moroccan traveller has mentioned that Kebab was an integral part of the daily diet of Indian royalty as early as 1200 AD. No wonder the Afghan plunderers and invaders brought it to the Indian kitchens long before the Mughals ventured in. If the pre-Mughal Kebab was more about marinade and meat-being more of rustic chewy chunks, char-grilled in open ovens , with Mughals it evolved into a delicacy, that was soft and succulent, made richer with aromatic spices and dry fruits.
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Celebrated food critic and Chef Marut Sikka says, "India being traditionally a vegetarian country, was not the birthplace of kebabs. Only the territories that depended on wild game, like Rajputana have a meat eating history. No wonder the first evidence of meat, which has a remote similarity with kebab is Soola (Maans Ka Soola) which was made with game meat, mostly wild boar or deer."
"If you look at the political boundaries and collaborate it with history, the trail followed by Changez Khan's army transecting Mongolia, Middle-East and up to Spain and around, saw the evolution of kebabs in various forms. Though we have Yakitori in Japan and Satay in Indonesia and Malasia, but in sauces and spices they cannot be compared with kebabs" adds Sikka.
But kebab in the Indian context is not just about meats. In fact some delectable Indian variations like Hariali Kebab, Paneer Tikka and Dahi Ke Kebab owe their origin to India.
Chef Davinder Kumar, the author of Just Kebabs: Celebration of 365 days and one for a leap year, gives a list of 120 vegetarian kebabs in his book.
Most kebabs trace their origin a long time back and have an interesting tale to tell. Here are some popular ones.
Tunde and Galawati Kebab:
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This soft, succulent melt-in-the mouth patty like kebab from Lucknow got its name from its creator, Haji Murad Ali. He had just one hand and hence was called Tunday, as is commonly done in colloquial Hindi with people with upper limb handicap. Haji Murad, apparently used 160 spices in his kebab and got the patronage of Nawab Wvajid Ali Shah who wanted to eat a kebab that was soft and easy on his toothless mouth. While the name of the maker was given to the kebab, this soft and tender preparation with slight variations is also known as Galawati kebab because of its tenderness. Unlike most kebabs that are roasted, these are deep fried in clarified butter.
Bihari Kebab:
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Bihari kebabs have a rustic demeanor. They lack in the innumerable spices and ingredients used in most kebabs, but are actually chunks of meat roasted in open flame to perfection. The spices are used to marinate the meat and make it tender. Legend goes that it originated in the camps of Arab and Turkish invaders who used to roast meat chunks skewered on their sword edges.
Kakori Kebab:
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Kakori is not just known for the famous Kakori Conspiracy of 1925, but also the delicious kebabs that go by the name of this small town in Uttar Pradesh. Kakori Kabab is one of the most famous dishes of Awadhi cuisine and is known for its soft texture and aroma. It is roasted in skewers and served with Indian breads.
Chapli Kebab:
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Made with meat mince using onion, tomatoes, eggs and pomegranate seeds, they are said to have originated in North Western India, now Pakistan. It has its origins in Pashtun cuisine and is called Chapli because of the flat look it has.
Kalmi Kebab:
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It is a popular Indian kebab made by marinating chicken drumsticks and roasting them in tandoor. Spices, yoghurt and mint form part of the ingredients.
Reshmi Kebab:
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It certainly has a lot of Mughal influence which can be seen in the process of cooking that uses a lot of cream and cashew nut. Made with boneless chicken, it is cooked by marinating chunks of meat in curd, cream, cashew nut paste, spices and then grilled in tandoor. It has a crusty upper layer and a soft inside.
Shami Kebab:
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A popular kebab in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is made with meat, chickpeas and egg. Eaten as a snack and an appetizer, the kebab goes back to the Mughal era when Syrian cooks invented it in the emperor's kitchen. Bilad-al Shaam was the old name of Syria.
Shikampur Kebab or Patthar ke Kebab:
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This kebab which is native to Hyderabad is one of the finest examples of combining local and foreign ingredients. The Mughal's love for meat blended with the hot and fiery spices of Andhra Pradesh to create this succulent and aromatic kebab. This unique preparation was originally made under the patronage of the Nizam by heating the stone on which it is placed. This gives it a unique, smoky flavor.
Shish Kebab:
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Originally from Arabia, it is part of the regular diet there. The interesting fact is, whenever kebab is referred to in English, it is usually the Shish Kebab which is meant. It is basically meat threaded in skewer and grilled along with some vegetables like onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, mushrooms etc. Considered the oldest version of kebabs, it is available everywhere.
Sutli Kebab:
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It derives its name from the thread (sutli) which is used in tying the kebab to the skewer because the pieces of meat are so soft that they tend to fall down if not tied properly. It is popular in Bangladesh.
Doner Kebab and Shawarma:
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Doner Kebab is of Turkish origin and is similar to Shawarma as it is also made by grilling meat on a rotating spit. It is served with pita bread.
Shawarma is an Arabic meat preparation in which a single or a mixture of meats is placed on a rotating spit and grilled for a long time. The shavings are scraped and served in sandwich or wrap.
Besides the above, we have Seekh Kebab, (made on a long skewer), Boti Kebab (lamb marinated in yoghurt and cooked on spit in a clay oven), Mutton Burrah( large chunks of meat cooked in oven) and Kastoori Kebab with an earthly aroma of fenugreek, are just a few in this long list of skewered delicacies.
The kebabs stand out in the list of baked snacks, not due to the variety of spices or the types of marinade used, but because of that deep enchanting layer of tradition that adds an earthly redolence and an ineffaceable taste to them that lingers on!