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Mumbai BBQ: Street Kabab


It will get you by surprise. There you are, walking along a random Mumbai sidewalk like any other. Humming the bollywood ditty that's stuck in your head while tap dancing around the plops of doggy poop, when it hits you out of nowhere, stopping you in your tracks. That unmistakable heady scent of spicy animal fat dripping on live charcoal. There's a kebab wala nearby, and he sure seems to know what he's doing.

Street kebab vendors are an integral part of Mumbai’s landscape. You can usually find them in the muslim pockets in the city, often outside the local mosque. The setup is usually very simple. A rectangular grill very similar to a Japanese Hibachi, a couple dozen fat iron skewers and a bag of charcoal is all you need to get started. The expertise however, is another thing altogether. Mastery of the charcoal pit takes a lifetime, as it’s all done by feel and instinct, and practice, practice, practice.

It is believed that kebabs came to India via the Mughal dynasty circa 13th century. A kebab is the perfect food for marching armies and was probably invented by soldiers using their swords to skewer meat sitting huddled around a campfire. Spit roasting large animal cuts takes a lot of time and patience. Cutting meat into smaller portions allowed for the meat to cook faster and more efficiently to feed large crowds. Those recipes and cooking techniques evolved over the centuries and were passed on through the generations. Thankfully now, you don't have to plunder and pillage, risking loss of limb or life in order to enjoy these chargrilled delicacies.

There's something magical, almost primitive about gathering around a fire when the sun sets over the horizon, and this is probably why kebabs are almost always eaten in the evening (and because they go so well with booze).The vendors usually set up shop in the early evening and go on operating till the wee hours of the morning. Well prepared food is the economic equalizer, and nothing exemplifies that more than a kebab vendor who has earned a reputation. Even in the poorest slums of Mumbai; it won't be uncommon to find the odd BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz waiting in line anxiously, happy to ignore the mountains of unattended garbage and wandering flea infested stray animals.

One of my favorites from the kebab wala is the Seekh Kebab. This is made from ground beef or lamb, pounded with spices and herbs to a paste, and then skillfully pressed onto metal skewers. It needs to be

expertly flipped continuously so that all sides cook evenly. Failure to do so could result in one side getting heavier than the other, causing it to fall into the fire. The perfect seekh kabab has a mild crispy char on the outside, and a soft delicate consistency that melts upon contact with the tongue. The dripping fat on burning charcoal causes clouds of smoke to give the characteristic smoky finish. The best accompaniment for this mint chutney, sliced onions, generous squeezes of lime. A hot roomali roti or paratha to scoop it all together, and right there is your ticket to charbroiled culinary heaven.

So the next time you are in Mumbai, make sure to be on the lookout for the local kebab guy. Ask your friends, search online or just do what I do. Find a Muslim neighborhood, look for a mosque and let year nose do the searching. That's my no-fail technique and it usually works! (Be discreet with the hip flask, as it could get you arrested if you aren’t careful).

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