You know those days when you take something out of the freezer and put it in the fridge because you’re planning on making it the next day…and the next day arrives and you don’t feel like eating it anymore? Well that’s how this dish came about. I had bought a pack of Woolies Spicy burgers with the intention of having bunless burgers (coz 2017 goals) but my lettuce was looking rather sad and I really didn’t feel like it to be honest. Then I thought burger patties are essentially just flavoured mince so why not use it like that?

See below for what transpired in my kitchen.

Seekh Kebab:

• 4 x spicy beef burger patties (use lamb if you prefer, I went with what I had)
• ½ onion, finely chopped or magimixed
• Handful of mint
• Handful of coriander
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground coriander

1. Take the patties and mush them together with your hands.
2. In a magimix, process the onions, mint, coriander, ground cumin and ground coriander.
3. Then add the onion mixture to the “mince” and magimix until combined.
4. Lightly oil your hands and a plate and take some mince mixture and roll into a sausage shape. Make sure it is even in thickness.
5. Place the seekh kebabs in a smoking hot pan. I did this to get the charred marks. The fat in the mince mixture and the oil you used to roll them into shape will be enough so that it does not stick. Once they are nicely browned on either side, pour a little bit of water into the pan and cover with a lid. The steam will help to cook the seekh kebabs quickly so they remain juicy.

Tortilla/Naan/Pita:

Ideally seekh kebab is served with pita breads or naan. As I said in this post,  I only ever have tortillas in my freezer. Take some butter/ghee/marg and spread onto one side of the tortilla, add some chopped garlic and parsley or coriander. Put the tortilla butter side up in a hot pan (I did this before I cooked the seekh kebab therefore less washing up) and wait for the tortilla to bubble  up. Once it is crispy on the botton turn over for a few seconds and then take it off the heat.

Onion:

Slice onion thinly, add some salt and leave aside. Rinse salt out and drain. Add some lemon juice or vinegar.

Tzatziki:

• Few spoonfuls double cream/greek yoghurt
• Grated cucumber, salted and rinsed, squeeze excess liquid out
• Coriander, ground cumin and coriander, salt to taste.
• Add all ingredients together.

Salad:

• Tomato, cucumber – seeds removed and chopped. Olives.

Tips:

Assemble your seekh kebab on your tortilla/pita/naan. Add all the sides, garnish with extra coriander and a sprinkle of paprika.You can eat this as a wrap or use the tortilla as a roti or leave it out altogether if you’re going carb free.

If you’re a veggie use falafel mix or roast some chickpeas using the same spices! Pescetarian? Use tuna instead, prawns, fishcakes. I can go on and on.