I am so excited to share this recipe with you for your Ramadan iftar or to add to your dinner party menu. It brings back great memories of Iftar’s back home especially among the Ismaili Khoja friends and family.

 My MaaIl used to make this with a sauce sometimes, but usually served it as a standalone Kabab side. It’s an easy side dish that can turn into a main dish, made with everyday ingredients, yet able to impress the most demanding of palates.

It is usually made by patting minced meat into a circle and laying the same sized omelet on top and then rolling it into a Swiss roll, which is then baked and sliced into pinwheels then dipped into beaten eggs and shallow fried.  

If you are making this for the first time, I have shown you how to make it by placing the minced meat on the omelet and rolling it up, just make sure that the meat overlaps the omelet a bit so that as it shrinks, it fits the omelet, does it matter which method you use? No. At the rate these fly off the plate, do you think anyone will ask what came first, the chicken or the egg? Not really.

It’s more than a kabab, it’s a real crowd-pleaser, and easily transitions to a main dish if you decide to add a tomato gravy to it, leave out the breadcrumbs and substitute with chickpea flour to make it gluten-free.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. of minced Chicken (Beef or Lamb)
• 1 medium onion very finely diced, or minced
• 1 teaspoon Thai green chili paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon dhana jeera (cumin- coriander powder)
• 1 tablespoon breadcrumbs (or chickpea/gram/besan flour for a Gluten-Free version)
• 1 tablespoon salt or to taste
• ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
• 3-4 tablespoons oil
• 4 eggs + salt & pepper to taste + 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
• 2 sheets foil paper
• 1 egg for coating beaten with a bit of salt & black pepper.
• Oil for shallow frying

Gravy:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¾ cup chopped onions
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt, freshly crushed black pepper, red chili powder to taste
• ½-cup water

Watch me make it here!

Method:

1. In a bowl, combine the minced meat, onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, dhana-jeera, garam masala, salt, cilantro, and breadcrumbs. Mix well and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
   
   
   
2. Meanwhile make 2 omelets of 2 eggs each- Beat two eggs with salt, pepper, and chopped cilantro. Cook two separate omelets and set them aside.
   
   
3. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
   
   
4. Brush some oil onto a sheet of foil then take half the minced meat mixture and spread it in a circle on the foil about 5-6 inches wide.
   
   
5. Place one  omelet on minced meat circle, then gently roll Swiss roll style into a firm roll, lifting the foil to help you; (Alternatively, you can spread the meat mixture over the omelet and roll it from there.)
   
   
6. Brush some oil on the roll and wrap the foil over the roll and press ends together to seal.
   
   
7. Repeat with the second omelet and remaining meat mixture.
   
   
8. Place both the rolls on a bking sheet and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
   
   
9. Remove the meat logs from the oven, and let them cool down, or For cleaner slices, chill the rolls in the freezer for 30 minutes.
   
   
10. Using a sharp knife, slice into ½ cm slices or maybe 1 cm thick rounds, whichever thickness you prefer.
    
    
11. Beat 1 egg, add salt, black pepper, red chili powder.
    
    
12. Dip each slice into the egg mixture and shallow fry on both sides for about 30 seconds, or until golden and cooked through.

Serve with green chutney or pour a tomato-based gravy over it and serve with roti and salad.

Tomato gravy:

1. Heat about 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and add about 3/4 cup chopped onions and fry until golden brown.
   
   
2. Add 2 cups crushed tomatoes and 1 tbsp. tomato puree, tomato ketchup, and 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and red chili powder to taste and cook well adding water ½ cup at a time if needed.
   
   
3. When the gravy is cooked, pour over the kababs.

Notes:

• If the meat mixture feels sticky, wet your hands slightly before shaping.
• Roll firmly but gently to keep it intact without cracking.
• Chilling in the freezer for 30 minutes makes slicing cleaner.
• Use a serrated knife to prevent crumbling.