Indian Seekh Kebab and Simple Yogurt Raita
Another classic right from my family cookbook, easy Indian seekh kebabs served with a dead simple yogurt raita. Very low in carbs, and semi-carnivore friendly, this Indian style kebab is works very well both grilled and oven roasted.
What is a Indian Seekh Kebab?
The term kebab or kabob, refers to a wide variety of grilled meats from all over the world generally but not always cooked skewered, on a grill, or over a flame. AKA a low carbers dream.
Some popular forms of kebab such as kofta, shawarma, doner, souvlaki, and gyro can be found in cities all over the world and have become a regular part of popular cuisine, making them a great and available option for anyone looking for some low carb take-out.
Seekh kebabs are popular in Middle Eastern and Indian cuisine, and apparently the word “seekh” is similar to the English word “rod” or “skewer” referring to the skewer used to form and sometimes cook this style of kebab.
These low carb beef seekh kebabs, containing ground meat, yogurt, finely chopped onion, garlic, and ginger, mixed with traditional Indian spices such as cumin, garam masala, and coriander powder, are formed into cylinders around the handle of a wooden spoon, or a wooden skewer.
In this case the skewer is then removed before the kebabs are oven roasted, or grilled on a BBQ.
Kebabs are often served with rice, flatbreads, or a roasted vegtable side dish, and a yogurt based raita sauce.
A Low Carb Indian Kebab
Traditional kebabs are not necessarily high in net carbohydrates. But this family recipe and many others all for higher carb binding ingredients like milk soaked bread, breadcrumbs, lentils, or besan (chickpea flour), that just add carbs for no reason.
This lower carb version uses only plain yogurt to bind the mixture, and maybe an egg if you are having trouble keeping everything together.
This leaves only the carbohydrates from fresh produce, dry spices, and plain yogurt. In my opinion there is hardly anything to worry about with 2.6g of total carbs per serving.
A Semi-Carnivore Very Low Carb Seekh Kebab
Being comprised of mostly ground beef or lamb, and yogurt, with a very small amount of produce and spices.
This seekh kebab is both very low in carbs, and semi carnivore, even when paired with a yogurt raita.
Although anyone who is following a stricter approach to carnivore eating may not feel comfortable consuming some of these ingredients. As outlined in the first part of my semi-carnivore kinda life series. These ingredients are perfectly acceptable for a very low carb “Semi-carnivore” style of eating.
But, you gotta do what works for you, so feel free to replace or omit any of the ingredients you would like, this formula for making kebabs will work out either way.
What Is In An Indian Style Seekh Kebab?
To make 6-8 large kebabs, you’ll need:
- 1 ½ pounds of ground beef or lamb
- 1 small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 hot green chilies
- 1 teaspoon of ginger
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh Cilantro
- Lemon/lime juice
How To Make Indian Style Seekh Kebabs
- Begin by finely chopping the onion, garlic, green chilies, and ginger until it is almost minced. Add the chopped produce to a large bowl and along with the plain yogurt, cumin, garam masala, and coriander powder. Season with salt and pepper and combine well to create a slurry.
- Add the ground meat to the bowl with the slurry and using your hands combine the mixture very well. Mash the ground meat and other ingredients with your hands for several minutes until everything is completely combined and the meat is well minced.
- Take a handful of the meat mixture, and begin forming it around a skewer, or the round handle of a wooden spoon into a cylindrical shape approximately 1” thick. Although these kebabs can be cooked right on the skewer, for oven roasting I prefer removing the skewer.
-To remove the skewer, place the kebabs on a baking sheet or a plate, pinch the skewer between your fingers to keep the kebab in place on the plate, and slide the skewer out. Carefully reshape the now skewerless kebab on the surface as needed.
4. For oven roasting, place the formed kebabs on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake in a 375°F [205°C] oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Serve with fresh chopped chilies, cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt raita.
Grilling/Barbecue Instructions:
Heat grill to a medium-high heat and brush with oil to prevent sticking. Cook the kebabs for approximately 10 minutes, turning as needed to evenly brown. Make sure the kebabs are cooked through before serving.
How to Make a Simple Low Carb Raita
For a very simple low carb raita, mix ½ cup of plain yogurt with ½ teaspoon of garam masala, and squeeze of lime juice
Low Carb Indian Seekh Kebab with Simple Yogurt Raita
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef or lamb
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped/grated
- 2 whole hot green chilies finely chopped
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- ½ tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- salt and pepper
- lemon/lime juice
Instructions
How To Make Indian Style Seekh Kebabs
- Begin by finely chopping the onion, garlic, green chilies, and ginger until it is almost minced. Add the chopped produce to a large bowl and add in the plain yogurt, cumin, garam masala, and coriander powder. Season with salt and pepper and combine well to create a slurry.
- Add the ground meat to the bowl with the slurry and using your hands combine the mixture very well. Mash the ground meat and other ingredients with your hands for several minutes until everything is completely combined and the meat is well minced.
- Take a handful of the meat mixture, and begin forming it around a skewer, or the round handle of a wooden spoon into a cylindrical shape approximately 1” thick. Although these kebabs can be cooked right on the skewer, for oven roasting I prefer removing the skewer. - To remove the skewer, place the kebabs on a baking sheet or a plate, pinch the skewer between your fingers to keep the kebab in place on the plate, and slide the skewer out. Carefully reshape the now skewer-less kebab on the surface as needed.
- For oven roasting, place the formed kebabs on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and bake in a 375°F [205°C] oven for 25-30 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Grilling Instructions: Heat the grill or BBQ to a medium-high heat. Brush the grill with oil to prevent sticking and cook the kebabs for approximately 10 minutes until cooked through. Rotate the kebabs as necessary to brown evenly.
- Serve with fresh chopped chilies, cilantro, lime juice, and yogurt raita.
How to Make a Simple Low Carb Raita
- For a very simple low carb raita, mix ½ cup of plain yogurt with ½ teaspoon of garam masala, and squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
What To Serve With Low Carb Indian Seekh Kebab
Although this kebab and raita can make a wonderful semi-carnivore meal just one its own, this recipe also pairs very well with a side of simple salad, or your favourite coleslaw.
Of course any of your favourite Indian or Middle Eastern side dishes such a my low carb celeriac bhaji, or a simple cauliflower will also pair nicely.
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Enjoy!
