The Best Ever Finger-Licking Kabab Masala — Easy Recipe for Beginners

Chicken Kabab Masala is a mouthwatering dish and a delectable main course in which kababs are served in a flavorful tomato gravy.

Kabab masala goes well with paratha, roti, or naan. It is the ultimate treat for all food lovers.

Not only, this beginner-friendly recipe requires no skewers, grill, or special equipment. But also, you don’t need to worry about shaping perfect kababs. Small hand-formed patties or logs work just as well. I like to make these kababs in pan instead of oven or grill to make the process quick and simple, and than add in to the gravy, ideal for first-time Pakistani cooking.

I usually adds cubeb in my kababs. Cubeb(kabab chini) adds aroma, but if you don’t have it, you can simply skip it and recipe still works beautifully without it, making this dish more approachable for beginners.

Table Of Content

• What Are Kababs?
• Beginner Tips for Kabab Masala Gravy
• Which Meat Should I Use To Make Chicken Kabab Masala?
• How to Adjust Spice Levels Chicken Kabab Masala?
• How Do You Freeze Chicken Kababs?
• What To Serve With Chicken Kabab Masala
• More Meat Recipes

What Are Kababs?

Kababs are made with ground meat, cilantro, fresh ginger, and a few spices and formed into a calendar shape. It is cooked slowly in onion and tomato gravy.

Beginner Tips for Kabab Masala Gravy

Bhunai is Key:

The most important step in most Pakistani cooking is to bhunai (sauté the masala) until the spices and onions release their aroma and the oil separates from the masala. Although this is the key of delicious gravy, but let me tell you the “secret” you don’t need to stir the masala constantly. Cook it over low heat, adding a little water as it starts to dry. Let it simmer until the water evaporates, then add a bit more and repeat the process. Continue this cycle until the oil separates from the masala, this slow cooking is what gives the gravy its rich, authentic flavor.

Use Medium Heat:

I would highly suggest to cook slowly over medium heat to prevent burning. Stir occasionally to keep the masala from sticking to the pan.

Taste and Adjust:

Its always good to taste masala before adding kababs. At the same time adjust salt, chili, or spices to your preference. I learned the importance of this step the hard way!

Garnishing:

Adding fresh ginger, green chilies, and cilantro at the end not only brighten the flavor but also make the dish more fragrant. This is the another secret to elevate the aroma and flavor of any dish.

Which Meat Should I Use To Make Chicken Kabab Masala?

• When using ground chicken, use thigh meat to make the kababs more juicy.
• You can also use the same recipe in beef, or lamb meat.

How to Adjust Spice Levels Chicken Kabab Masala?

If you prefer a milder flavor or want to make this dish more kid-friendly, simply reduce or omit the green chilies and red chili flakes. If you like a medium heat, simply follow the listed ingredients, and for a spicier dish, add extra chilies or a pinch of cayenne.

How Do You Freeze Chicken Kababs?

Make the kababs according to the recipe, then place them on a tray, cover them with plastic wrap, and freeze for 6 hours. Remove the frozen kababs from the freezer and keep them in a Ziploc bag or an airtight freezer container. You can easily freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it before use.

What To Serve With Chicken Kabab Masala

It goes perfectly with naan, paratha, or roti, which help soak up the delicious tomato gravy. If you are a rice person than steamed basmati rice or jeera (cumin) rice or Matter pulao are also paired well with the dish.

For side simple Kachumbar salad or green chutney rita (yogurt dip with mint chutney goes well.

More Meat Recipes

Pakistani Dhaba Style Chicken Karahi

Sada Dehli Wali Biryani | Plain Biryani Meats

Shami Kabab (INSTANT POT AND STOVETOP)

Kofta Curry/Meatball With Gravy

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The Best Ever Finger-Liking Kabab Masala

Recipe by Urooj Naeem

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: Main CourseCuisine: PakistaniDifficulty: Medium

Servings: 6

1/2x 1x 2x

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

Kabab Masala is a mouthwatering dish in which kababs are served in a flavorful tomato gravy. It is the ultimate treat for all food lovers.

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

• For Chicken Kabab

• 1.5 pound ground chicken

• Salt to taste

• 1 teaspoon red chilies

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cubeb, or kabab chini

• 1 teaspoon crushed roasted coriander

• 1 teaspoon roasted, crushed cumin

• 3 green peppers

• 2 inch piece ginger

• 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro

• For Gravy

• 1/3 cup oil

• 1 medium onion

• 1 teaspoon ginger paste

• 1 teaspoon garlic paste

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red chilies

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon roasted and ground cumin powder

• 1.5 teaspoon roasted and crushed coriander powder

• 2 15 oz cans of crushed tomatoes or 5 tomatoes cut into small pieces

• For Garnishing

• Ginger Julien cut

• 2 green chilies, chopped

• Hand full of cilantro

Get Recipe Ingredients

Directions

• In a food processor, combine cilantro, green chilies, and ginger and pulse 3–4 times.
  
• Add the ground chicken, salt, red chilies, cubeb/kabab chini powder, crushed coriander, and cumin.
• Cover and refrigerate the meat mixture to marinate for at least 1-2 hours.
• Shape the kababs with a few drops of oil in your palm.
• For Gravy
• In a blender, make a paste of the onion.
• Heat the oil in a pan, then add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for a minute before adding the onion paste.
• Continue to saute’ (bhonify) on medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add all gravy spices and bhonify, and if needed, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water at a time.
• Continue to sauté until the oil separates from the masala (about 15 minutes).
• Now, add the tomatoes and cook until the water evaporates.
• Add the kababs to the gravy (masala) and 1/2 cup of water, cover, and cook on low heat until the kababs are cooked.
• Add the Julien-cut ginger, cilantro, and green chilies, cover for 2 minutes, and serve.
  

Notes

• Serve with roti or naan.

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