Last Saturday, we had the final session of the Student Leadership Programme for E. Before leaving, I quickly placed chicken breasts on the counter to thaw, planning an early dinner when we returned. But after the session, I came home with absolutely zero motivation to cook. HI walked in after his match asking, “What’s for dinner?” The kids were hungry too, and even though I didn’t feel like cooking, I wasn’t keen on a takeaway either.

So, I stepped into the kitchen telling myself I’d just whip up a quick batch of kababs. But that simple start soon rolled into a full dum kabab dinner with fresh roti — the kind of hearty, comfort meal that makes all the effort worth it. Sometimes all it takes is that first step; once momentum kicks in, you actually start enjoying the process. I used chicken that day, but this easy dum kabab recipe works perfectly with beef mince as well and can be adapted into a delicious kabab karahi too.

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About Dum Kabab: Dum kabab are a type of soft, melt-in-your-mouth meat dish (usually chicken, mutton, or beef mince) prepared using the slow-cooking “dum” technique, which means cooking on a low flame in a covered pot to trap the steam and flavors. 

Rating:   4 out of 5

Cuisine: Afghan/Pashtun

Course:  Main

Good for:	6-7 ppl	Ease Level:	3 out of 5
Prep Time:	20 mins	Quickness:	3 out of 5
Cooking Time:	15 mins	Taste Level:	4 out of 5

 Above ratings are out of 5, with 5 being the ‘most’.

GET:

Cutting board
Knife
Food Processor / Chopper
Strainer
Frying Pan
Cooking Spoon
Tong

SET:

Chicken or beef mince – 1 kg
Onions – 500 g, finely chopped
Green chilies – 4–5
Garlic – 7–8 bulbs (finely chopped)
Ginger – 1.5–2 inch piece (finely chopped)
Salt 1 tsp
Chili flakes 1.5 tsp
Chili Powder 1.5 tsp
Cumin Powder 1tsp
Coriander Powder 1 tsp
All Spice Powder 0.5 tsp
Mint leaves (chopped) 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves (chopped) 2 tbsp
Oil/Ghee 2 tbsp + for frying

For Dum:

Oil 100ml half cup
Garlic (crushed and minced) 1tsp
Tomatoes 3 medium (sliced or chopped)
Onion 1 (cut in rings)
Green chilies 2-3 (sliced)
Salt 1 tsp
Chili flakes 1 tsp
Chili Powder 1/2tsp
Cumin Powder 1tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper (crushed) 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped) for garnishing – optional

GO:

Prepare the Kabab Mixture:
In a large bowl, combine the mince with chopped onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, herbs, and all the spices. Mix well until everything is fully incorporated. Let it rest for 20–30 minutes for deeper flavour.

Shape & Fry
Shape the mixture into medium-sized kababs.
Shallow fry on medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

Build the Masala for Dum
Heat Oil in a pan, add garlic and saute them.
Now add the tomatoes and green chilies mix.
Mix in all the remaining ingredients (except onions) – salt, chili flakes, chili powder, cumin powder, turmeric, black pepper, cardamoms.
Cover and cook till masala forms and oil comes on top.
Now layer the onion rings over masala followed by fried kababs.
Cover and let them cook on low heat for 10 mins.
When serving, mix the masala and kababs.
Garnish it with some coriander leaves and enjoy with naan or roti.

Here’s a quick video to help you understand it a bit more and see how I make it:

View this post on Instagram

MY TWO CENTS:

• Adjust the spices to suit your taste buds.
• Remove extra onion moisture using the strainer, it helps the kababs stay firm.
• For low-fat and healthier option, you can air-fry the kababs using oil spray.
• You can use canned tomatoes too but personally i feel fresh ingredients always elevate the overall dish.
• Use roasted and crushed cumin and coriander powder in kabab for an enhanced flavour.

Hope you’ll enjoy trying it out.
I’d love to get your feedback. Feel free to drop a comment below about your experience.

Happy Cooking!