Seekh Kebab Naan Rolls

A beloved North Indian street favourite turned weekend centrepiece: spiced minced lamb cylinders, grilled over live coals, then tucked inside pillowy tandoor-style naan with mint chutney and pickled onions.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Seekh kebabs

• 600g (1 lb 5 oz) minced lamb, 20% fat
• 1 medium onion, grated and squeezed dry
• 3 tbsp (45g) fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp (30g) fresh mint, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp (15g) ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp (3g) cumin powder
• 1 tsp (3g) coriander powder
• 1 tsp (3g) garam masala
• ½ tsp (2g) Kashmiri chilli powder
• Salt to taste

Naan

• 300g (2½ cups) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7g (1 sachet) instant yeast
• 1 tsp (5g) sugar
• 120ml (½ cup) warm milk
• 80g (⅓ cup) plain yoghurt
• 2 tbsp (30ml) neutral oil
• 1 tsp (5g) salt
• 2 tbsp (30g) butter, melted, for brushing

To serve

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced, soaked in lemon juice 30 minutes
• Handful of fresh mint and coriander leaves
• 4 tbsp (60g) mint-coriander chutney
• Lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Mix all kebab ingredients together, kneading firmly for 3–4 minutes until the mixture becomes tacky. Refrigerate 1 hour (or overnight for deeper flavour).
2. Make naan dough: dissolve yeast and sugar in warm milk; rest 10 minutes until foamy. Combine flour, salt, yoghurt, oil and yeast mixture. Knead 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and prove in a warm place 1–1.5 hours until doubled.
3. Divide dough into 8 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll each to an oval 5mm (¼ inch) thick. Cook in a very hot dry cast-iron skillet 2–3 minutes per side until charred blisters form. Brush immediately with melted butter.
4. Divide the kebab mixture into 8 portions. Thread onto flat metal skewers, moulding each into a 15cm (6-inch) cylinder. Grill over hot coals or under a high oven grill 10–12 minutes, turning every 3 minutes, until charred and cooked through.
5. To assemble, spread chutney on each naan, lay a seekh kebab along the centre, add pickled onion, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon. Roll tightly.

Cook's Notes: Squeezing moisture from the grated onion is essential to keep the kebabs from falling off the skewer. If using bamboo skewers, soak 30 minutes first. The naan dough benefits greatly from overnight cold proving.