Juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint or 1 tsp. dried or bottled min
3-4 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
1 oz. raw cashews (25 g)
1 med.-sized onion, coarsely chopped
2 sm. cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped or minced; remove the seeds if you like it mild
1 1/2 lb. lean mince, beef or lamb (700 g)
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground ajwain (ajowan or carum) or ground caraway seeds
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. Tandoori color or a few drops of red food coloring mixed with
1 tbsp. tomato puree
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt or to taste
4 tbsp. cooking oil

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Put the lemon juice, mint, coriander leaves, cashews, onion, garlic and green chilies in an electric liquidiser and blend to a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Using the liquidiser, grind the mince in 2-3 small batches until it is fairly smooth, rather like a paste. Add the meat to the rest of the liquidised ingredients in the bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and knead the mixture until all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly and it is smooth. Alternatively, put all the ingredients, except the oil, in an electric food processor and process until the mixture is smooth. Chill the mixture for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 240 degrees C/475 degrees F/Gas Mark 9. Line a roasting tin with aluminum foil. Divide the kabab mix into about 18 balls, each slightly larger than a golf ball.

Mound a ball onto a skewer and form into a sausage shape by gently rolling between your palms (about 4-5 inches long) and place on the prepared roasting tin. Make the rest of the kababs the same way.

Brush generously with the oil and place the roasting tin just below the top rung of the oven. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and brush the kababs liberally with the remaining oil and cook for a further 6-8 minutes. Allow the kababs to cool slightly before removing them from the skewers.