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Cooked bihari kabab are plated and garnished with green chilies, sliced white onions and lemon slices.

Bihari Kabab

Nosheen Babar
Bihari Kabab are thin tenderloin strips marinated in a unique blend of spices, tenderized overnight, cooked and then smoked using lit charcoal
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
marinating time 12 hours
Total Time 14 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Pakistani
Servings 4 people
Calories 613 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup avocado oil (see notes)
  • 1 ¼ lbs tenderloin strips (see notes)
  • ½ onion (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon ginger paste
  • ½ tablespoon green chili paste
  • ½ kiwi (see notes)
  • 2 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ½ tablespoon gram flour (besan) (see notes)
  • 1 charcoal
  • 1 tablespoon oil

Whole Spice Mix

  • ½ tablespoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
  • ½ tablespoon nutmeg (jaiphal)
  • 1 tablespoon mace (javitri)
  • 1 tablespoon star anise (badiyan ka phool)
  • 5 whole red kashmiri chilies (sabut laal mirchi)

Powdered Spices

  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder (laal mirchi powder)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder (zeera powder)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirchi powder)

Instructions
 

  • Take the 2"x6" tenderloin strips and beat them with a meat mallet till they are very thin.
  • Chop the onion and fry it in the ¼ cup oil till it is a deep brown and set aside.
  • Peel half a kiwi, mash it, and set it aside.
  • Dry roast the whole spices and then grind them to a powder using a spice grinder.
  • Take all of the ingredients except the beef tenderloin strips and grind them to a paste in a food processor.
  • Marinate the beef in this mixture overnight (see notes)
  • Remove the meat from the fridge after the marination period is over and thread the strips on the skewers.
  • Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit
  • Drizzle a little Avocado oil on the grill pan and then saute the skewered meat till it is brown on all four sides.
  • Brush the roasting Pan with some oil and place the skewers in it.
  • Drizzle any remaining marinade over the skewers.
  • Cover with foil and bake for about 30-60 minutes, till the meat is cooked through.
  • Take a small bowl and place it in the roasting pan.
  • Heat a piece of charcoal and place it in the bowl.
  • Pour a tablespoon of cooking oil over the lit coal to make it smoke.
  • Cover the roasting pan with foil and place a baking sheet over it to keep the smoke in.
  • Remove and discard the coal after 5 minutes and enjoy your kabab.

Notes

Oil—Traditionally, Bihari Kabab is cooked with Mustard Oil (Sarson Ka Tel). It gives the kabab a special taste and smell. I use avocado oil for mine, as I prefer it for most of my cooking, but if you want a truly authentic flavor, try the mustard oil.
Meat - Using the right meat is critical to making the kebab turn out well. The recipe requires the use of Beef tenderloin. This is then cut into thin strips and pounded using a meat tenderizer until they are paper thin (called 'parchas').
Onion - The onion must be chopped, browned in ¼ cup of oil, and then ground to a paste, with the oil included, to be used in the marinade. If you prefer to use store-bought brown onions, then use ⅛ cup and add a teaspoon of oil to moisten them. 
Kiwi - Traditionally, raw papaya is used as a tenderizer in the Bihari kabab recipe. At most, one tablespoon per pound of meat should be used. Too much can cause the meat to shred and also taste bitter. Without availability, Kiwi works amazingly well as a substitute and is my go-to here in the USA. Use ½ a kiwi per pound of meat. A powdered meat tenderizer is also an option, but I'm not a massive fan as I've always found that it alters the taste of the kebab and leaves the texture short of being authentic. If that is your only option, use about one tablespoon per pound.
Gram Flour - Gram flour, or Chickpea flour, is made from specific South Asian Chickpeas. This recipe adds a pleasant nutty taste and helps act as a binding agent, making the ground spices stick to the meat and not fall off during marination and cooking.
Marinade Time - Many recipes offer a variety of suggestions for marination time. After much experimentation, if you use beef tenderloin cut in thin strips as recommended in this recipe and a kiwi, overnight marination is necessary to get the right texture for this kebab. However, ensure you stay within 12 hours, or the meat will start tearing and shredding as you thread it on the skewers.
Grilling the Kabab - If you want to cook the bihari kabab on an outdoor grill, preheat the grill to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 20-25 minutes. Flip every 5 minutes to get an even char on both sides and cover the grill for 10-15 minutes to ensure the kababs are cooked in the middle. Check the internal temperature and cook to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, the kabab taste best when well done.

Nutrition

Serving: 1personCalories: 613kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 28gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 680mgPotassium: 628mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 371IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 6mg
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