Name: Shami Kebabs
Yield: Makes about 24 patties
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef; 1/2 cup dried yellow split peas; 1 onion, chopped; 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced; 2 whole large (black) cardamom pods (see Tips, below); 3 whole small (green) cardamom pods; 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half; 2 whole cloves; 6 whole dried red chiles, such as guajillos; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1 large egg; 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 cups vegetable oil for frying

(Ground Beef Patties)

My son Samir loves shami kebabs with pooris (deep-fried wheat bread). They are also very tasty with basmati rice and raita (yogurt sauce).

Tip:

Black cardamom pods add a subtle, smoky flavor to this dish, but they can be hard to find. Siddiqui sells them on her web site at www.whitejasmine.com. In a pinch, 2 additional green cardamom pods can be substituted.

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