Minced meat shaped around flat skewers and grilled, so tender it melts in the mouth. A Lahori kebab house specialty, the name 'gola' meaning round.
Gola kabab is a specialty of Lahore's kebab houses, made from minced beef or mutton mixed with fried onion, yogurt, ginger, garlic and spices, shaped into cylindrical rolls around flat skewers, and grilled over charcoal. The name gola means 'round' or 'ball', referring to the cylindrical shape. What distinguishes gola kabab from seekh kabab is the texture: the mince is processed smoother, sometimes with raw papaya paste to tenderise, and the long marination (2 to 4 hours) makes the meat so soft it literally melts in the mouth. Served with naan, sliced onion and green chutney, gola kabab is a celebration and restaurant dish, found on the menus of Lahore's famous kebab streets like Gawalmandi and MM Alam Road.
Incredibly tender, melt-in-the-mouth minced meat with a smoky char from the charcoal, spiced warmly but not hot. The texture is smoother and softer than seekh kabab, almost like a pate shaped on a skewer.
The technique involves a smooth mince, long marination and flat-skewer grilling. The meat is minced twice for smoothness, then mixed with fried and ground onion, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, raw papaya paste (the papain enzyme breaks down proteins for tenderness), garam masala, cumin, coriander and salt. The mixture is marinated 2 to 4 hours. It is then shaped by hand around flat metal skewers (the flat shape prevents the meat from rotating), pressed firmly, and grilled over charcoal for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. The flat skewer and the firm pressing keep the meat from falling off. The raw papaya is the secret to the melt-in-the-mouth texture; without it the kabab is tougher.
Variations
Some use mutton instead of beef. A version with cheese inside is modern.
On the Palate
Where Gola Kabab sits in the Pakistani flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6How it's made
5 steps · 30 min
- 16 min
Mince 500g beef twice; mix with 1 fried ground onion, 100g yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp papaya paste, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cumin, salt.
Watch outMince the beef twice and work in the raw papaya paste — the double mince makes it smooth enough to cling to a skewer, and the papaya's enzyme tenderizes the meat.
- 28 min
Marinate 3 hours in the fridge.
- 35 min
Shape firmly around flat metal skewers into cylinders.
Watch outPress the mince firmly around flat skewers, not round ones — flat skewers stop the meat spinning loose, so pack it tight or it slides off on the grill.
- 47 min
Grill over charcoal 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until charred and cooked through.
Watch outGrill over charcoal eight to ten minutes, turning once, until charred and cooked through — the char is the flavor; keep it moving so it colors without drying.
- 54 min
Slide off the skewer; serve with naan, onion slices and green chutney.
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