Podi Chicken Seekh Kebabs You Can Make on a Tawa

Chicken seekh kebabs can make a good dinner without a grill. Shape seasoned mince into short cylinders and cook them on a tawa. You get browned edges with the podi mixed through every bite.

Rapidli Karnataka Podi brings garlic, coconut and roasted flavour to this batch. Keep the onion dry and the chicken cold while you prepare it. A firm mixture is much easier to shape.

The recipe at a glance

Makes about 10 small kebabs. Serves 3 as a snack or 2 generously with roti. Prep: 15 minutes. Chill: 20 minutes. Cook: roughly 12 to 15 minutes per batch.

What you’ll need

• 500 g chilled chicken mince, preferably thigh or a breast-and-thigh mix
• 2 tbsp Rapidli Karnataka Podi
• 1 small onion, finely chopped, about ¼ cup after squeezing
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp oil for the mixture
• 1 to 2 tbsp plain breadcrumbs, only if needed
• 2 tsp oil for the tawa, added as needed
• Salt only if needed after checking a cooked test piece

Thigh mince gives a richer result than very lean breast mince. Podi already contains rock salt, so don’t add salt automatically. A small cooked test piece lets you check the seasoning safely.

Drain the onion before mixing

Put the chopped onion in a clean cloth or small sieve and squeeze out excess juice. Wet onion loosens the mince and makes the kebabs harder to turn.

Add it to the chilled mince with the podi, ginger, coriander, lemon juice and a teaspoon of oil. Mix firmly for about a minute, until the mixture feels slightly sticky and holds together.

If it still slumps, add 1 tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Rest for a few minutes before deciding whether it needs another. Too much bread makes the kebabs dense.

Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Keep raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat food and wash your hands and utensils after handling it.

Shape short kebabs

Divide the mixture into about 10 portions. Lightly oil your hands and shape each into a cylinder roughly 8 cm long and 2 cm thick. Keep them similar in size so they cook at a similar pace.

These are tawa kebabs shaped in the seekh style. You don’t need to leave skewers inside them. Short pieces are easier to turn and check with a thermometer.

If the mixture warms up and becomes difficult to handle, return it to the fridge briefly. Adding more and more breadcrumbs shouldn’t be the first fix.

Cook gently on the tawa

1. Warm a heavy tawa or frying pan over medium-low heat. Add a thin film of the cooking oil.
2. Cook a small test piece first. Check it reaches 74°C internally, then taste and adjust the remaining mixture’s seasoning if needed.
3. Arrange the shaped kebabs with space between them. Work in batches rather than crowding the pan.
4. Let the first side set for about 3 minutes before turning gently with a spatula. Turn every few minutes to brown the different sides.
5. Lower the heat if the coating darkens quickly. A brief covered cook can help the centres warm through; uncover again to finish the surface.
6. Cook until the centre of each kebab reaches at least 74°C. Insert an instant-read thermometer from the side into the thickest part without touching the pan.

Timing depends on thickness and your stove. A browned surface doesn’t confirm that minced chicken is cooked inside. FoodSafety.gov recommends 74°C for ground poultry, so use that check rather than colour alone.

Keep the podi coating from catching

A fierce flame can darken the fine seasoning before the centre is ready. Steady heat gives the meat time to cook through. Turn with a broad spatula once the underside is set, instead of dragging a soft kebab around the pan.

Our guide to why masala burns before chicken is cooked explains the same problem. The heat should work for the whole piece.

Serve with something cool

Bring the kebabs to the table with roti, onion and lemon. Plain curd or podi curd dip makes an easy side.

If you prefer cooking chunks of chicken, try the Karnataka Podi air-fryer chicken recipe too. This mince version gives you a different texture and serving style.

Refrigerate leftovers promptly in a covered container. Reheat until the centres reach 74°C, adding a little moisture to the pan if needed.