Shami kebab
Encyclopedia
Shami kebab or Shami Tikka (, Hindi: शामी टिक्का) is a popular Pakistani and Awadhi
kebab, that is composed of small patty minced mutton or Beef
, ground chickpeas and spices.
Shami kebabs are an extremely popular snack in Pakistan
and They are often garnished with lemon
juice and/or sliced raw onion
s, and are usually eaten with chutney made from mint or coriander. They are also served along with Sheer Khurma
on Muslim Eid
Days.
A variation of Shami kebab is also found in the Bangladeshi cuisine. The recipe is almost the same but it tastes different from the original version.
. Some are of the opinion that these kebabs were introduced to South Asia
during the Mughal era
by Muslim
emigrants from the Middle East
. They had employed cooks from all over the Muslim
world to serve in the royal kitchens. Some of the cooks were from Syria
as well. The Sham refers to either Syria
specifically or the Levant
in general, and these kebabs literally means Syrian kebabs or Levantine kebabs in Arabic
. The Shami kebab are also popular in Afghanistan
and Azerbaijan
.
Another source states that the word Sham is evening in Hindi and Urdu
and Sham-e-Awadh
, evening in Lucknow
of yore since the time of Nawab regime. A parochial perfumer from the India
n city of Kannauj
offered an explanation linking the spices used with the seductive whiff of an Atr called Shamama.
Awadhi cuisine
Awadhi Cuisine is from the city of Lucknow which is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh located in Central-South Asia and Northern India, and the cooking patterns of the city are similar to those of Central Asia, the Middle East, and Northern India as well. The cuisine consists of both...
kebab, that is composed of small patty minced mutton or Beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
, ground chickpeas and spices.
Shami kebabs are an extremely popular snack in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and They are often garnished with lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
juice and/or sliced raw onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, and are usually eaten with chutney made from mint or coriander. They are also served along with Sheer Khurma
Sheer korma
Sheer korma or Sheer Khurma is a festival vermicelli pudding prepared by Muslims on Eid ul-Fitr in South Asian countries especially Pakistan. It is a traditional Muslim festive breakfast, and a dessert for celebrations...
on Muslim Eid
Eid ul-Fitr
Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...
Days.
A variation of Shami kebab is also found in the Bangladeshi cuisine. The recipe is almost the same but it tastes different from the original version.
History
Shami kebab literally means Syrian kebab (Sham) in ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. Some are of the opinion that these kebabs were introduced to South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
during the Mughal era
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
by Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
emigrants from the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. They had employed cooks from all over the Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
world to serve in the royal kitchens. Some of the cooks were from Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
as well. The Sham refers to either Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
specifically or the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
in general, and these kebabs literally means Syrian kebabs or Levantine kebabs in Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
. The Shami kebab are also popular in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
.
Another source states that the word Sham is evening in Hindi and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
and Sham-e-Awadh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
, evening in Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
of yore since the time of Nawab regime. A parochial perfumer from the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n city of Kannauj
Kannauj
Kannauj , also spelt Kanauj, is a city, administrative headquarters and a municipal board or Nagar Palika Parishad in Kannauj district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city's name is traditionally derived from the term Kanyakubja . Kannauj is an ancient city, in earlier times the capital...
offered an explanation linking the spices used with the seductive whiff of an Atr called Shamama.