Behari Kebab Pakistani

Behari kebab is named after the Indian state of Bihar, but the dish as it exists in Pakistan is a Pashtun and pan-Pakistani adaptation, found in kebab houses from Peshawar to Karachi. Minced beef is marinated in a paste of fried onion, yogurt, mustard oil, ginger-garlic and a distinctive spice blend (cumin, coriander, red chili, fennel, nigella seeds) with raw papaya paste for tenderising. The mixture is shaped around flat skewers and grilled over charcoal. The Bihar connection is the spice blend, which includes fennel and nigella seeds not common in standard Punjabi kebabs, giving a sweeter, more aromatic flavour. Behari kebab is served with paratha or naan, sliced onion and green chutney, and it is one of the most popular kebabs in Pakistan's northwest.

Tender, smoky minced meat with a distinctive sweet-aromatic spice from fennel and nigella, the papaya tenderising giving a melt-in-the-mouth quality. Served hot off the skewer with paratha and chutney.

The technique is a spice-paste marination with papaya tenderising, shaped on flat skewers and grilled. The mince is mixed with a paste of fried ground onion, yogurt, ginger-garlic, mustard oil (or ghee), and a ground spice blend including fennel seeds, nigella seeds, cumin, coriander and red chili. Raw papaya paste (about 1 tsp per 500g meat) provides the papain enzyme that breaks down the proteins. After 3 to 4 hours of marination, the mixture is pressed firmly around flat skewers and grilled over charcoal for 8 to 10 minutes. The flat skewer and the sticky, paste-coated mince hold together well on the grill. The fennel and nigella in the spice blend are the Bihar signature, giving a sweeter, more aromatic kebab than the cumin-dominated Punjabi versions.