Fish galawati kebab

Galawati kebab is a delicacy from Awadhi cuisine. It originated to satisfy the delicate tastes of the Lucknow Nawabs (Uttar Pradesh, India). The name Galawati means ‘that melts in mouth’. It is an exquisite mixture of ground meat and aromatic spices formed into patty and fried on a griddle. The high fat content makes the kebab melt in the mouth. It is said that the authentic recipe has long secret list of aromatic ingredients that are signature of this preparation. Even though I do not know the secret recipe, I tried to keep it as close to the authentic one as possible. However, there are variations. I did not use atar or rose petals, because I did not have those. The major variation is the use of fish instead of meat. And that is why the name is Fish galawati kebab instead of just Galawati kebab. I wished to experiment with fish. The fat in this recipe mostly is fish oil with some cream. I do intend to try it once with ground meat, but this time it was with fish. But don’t let that disappoint you, as the kebabs were no less delicate. Soft, juicy, and delicious they were. With each bite, it was a celebration of flavors. The fish meat created a nice smooth texture, and the subtle blend of flavors and aroma of different spices took it to a different level. It was delicious.

You can print the recipe for your kitchen here: PRINTABLE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 6)

250g Rohu fish (or Carp fish)

1 onion

1 inch ginger

4 cloves garlic

2 green chili

2tbsp Bengal gram flour

2tbsp khoya kheer

1tbsp cream

Salt, sugar

Ghee

Spice mix:

1inch cinnamon,

2 black cardamom

4-5 cloves

10 black pepper

3g mace

Pinch nutmeg powder

1 small dry red chili

2tbsp sesame seeds

1tbsp poppy seeds

METHOD:

1.      Boil the fish pieces, debone and set aside.

2.      Make a paste of the onion, ginger, garlic, chili.

3.      Heat ghee in a wok. Add the paste.

4.      Fry the paste until water evaporates and it is nicely brown.

5.      In the meantime, roast all ingredients of spice mix except nutmeg powder. Finely grind everything. Add the nutmeg powder.

6.      Mash the fish well. Add the onion-ginger-garlic-chili paste and the ground spices. Add khoya kheer and cream. Season with salt and a pinch of sugar. Mix well.

7.      Make dough using roasted Bengal gram flour.

8.      Cover and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

9.      When making the kebabs, take the dough out and again knead well.

10.   Make 6 equal sized balls and shape them like a patty.

11.   Grease a pan with ghee and pan-fry each of the kebabs until brown on both sides and starting to get a hint of char.

NOTE:

Condensed milk powder can be used instead of khoya kheer.

The kebab is very delicate and needs gentle handling while pan-frying.

If Rohu (or even Carp) is not available, any other sweet water fish from same family can be used.