Title: Shami Kebab (Ground Lamb & Carrot Cutlet)
Categories: Lamb Meat Israel Jewish Persian
Yield: 1 Servings

1	lb	Ground lamb
2	md	(1 cup) onions, chopped
3		Carrots, grated
1	c	Ground toasted chick-peas flour (nachochi)
1	ts	Salt, or to taste
1/4	ts	Pepper
1/2	ts	Ground cardamom
1/4	ts	Ground turmeric
1/2	ts	Baking soda (opt)
2		Or 3 Tbsps water, cold
		Oil for pan-frying

The Persians artfully combine chick-pea flour (also a common ingred in India) w/meat & vegetable in this substitute cutlet. Chick-pea flour is dry & can only be integrated into meat mixture w/liquid. The moist onion, carrot, & cold water provide this. I also prefer to refrigerate mixture for 1/2 hr before cooking -- long enough to let seasonings blend w/moisture ~- or it could be prepared several hrs in advance to ease pressure of last-mins assembly.

1. Mix everything together except oil, adding enough water to provide an easily handled batter. 2. Prepare round or oblong cutlets 3-inches in diameter, 1/2-inch thick. Heat abt 3 tb oil in a skillet & brown cutlets, covered, over moderately low heat for 3 mins on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve warm. Serves 4 to 6. Makes abt 10 cutlets.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India -- Copyright 1992 Published by Donald I. Fine, Inc., New York, N.Y. David Pileggi

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