Ingredients

• 350ml/12fl oz milk
• 30g/1oz sugar
• small pinch saffron
• dissolved in 1 tsp milk
• 10g/½oz salt
• 500g/1lb 2oz plain flour
• pinch ground green cardamom
• ½ tbsp melon or pumpkin seeds
• 150g/5oz ghee
• melted
• plus 1 tbsp for brushing and extra for greasing
• 1½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 cloves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• seeds only
• 1 black cardamom pod
• seeds only
• 1 blade mace
• â…› nutmeg
• grated
• ½ tsp roasted cumin seeds
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp cashews
• 3 tbsp ghee
• melted
• plus a little extra for frying
• 6 cloves
• 500g/1lb 2oz lean lamb mince
• 4 tbsp dried onions
• 1½ tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 1½ tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1½ tsp chilli powder
• pinch saffron
• dissolved in 2 tbsp water
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp pineapple juice or 1 tbsp grated green papaya
• 4 drops rosewater
• 1 large banana leaf
• cut into 30x5cm/12x2in strips
• 1 pomegranate
• seeds only
• 500g/1lb 2oz Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 spring onion
• finely chopped
• 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger
• peeled and finely chopped
• 2 green chillies
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp roasted and ground cumin seeds (reserved when making the spice mix)
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• to garnish

Directions

• For the sheermal breads
• gently heat the milk in a saucepan until warm. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the saffron and remove from the heat. Once the milk has cooled
• stir in the salt. Reserve a tablespoon of the milk mixture for glazing later.
• Place the flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the green cardamom seeds
• melon seeds and milk mixture until combined. Knead into a soft dough. Cover with a moist cloth and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Remove the cloth and knead the dough again. Incorporate the melted ghee into the dough
• little by little
• using your fingers. Store in a cool place for 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and grease two baking trays with ghee.
• Divide the dough equally into balls weighing about 60g/2¼oz. Cover and set aside for another 10 minutes. Roll out the balls into 13cm/5in circles and prick all over with a fork. Place on the baking trays and bake for 8 minutes. Remove
• brush with the remaining milk mixture and bake again for 5 minutes
• or until golden. Keep the breads warm in a very low temperature oven until ready to serve.
• For the spice mix
• lightly dry fry the cumin seeds until fragrant. Set aside half a teaspoon
• then grind the remaining seeds in a pestle and mortar. Reserve the ground seeds for the raita.
• Grind the toasted cumin and all of the remaining ingredients to a fine powder in a pestle and mortar.
• For the kebabs
• fry the cashews in a little ghee and then pulse until smooth in a mini food processor or pestle and mortar
• adding a little water if necessary.
• Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a small frying pan and when very hot
• add the cloves. Once they have started to smoke (about 30 seconds) remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
• Put the mince in a mixing bowl and stir in the spice mix
• dried onions
• cashew paste
• ginger
• garlic
• chilli powder
• saffron
• salt and pineapple juice (or grated green papaya). Add the clove-infused oil
• discard the cloves
• and mix again. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Add a tablespoon of ghee and the rosewater to the mince and mix together thoroughly. Return the mixture to the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Heat the banana-leaf strips in a hot heavy-based frying pan
• or in the microwave for 30 seconds
• until they are soft and pliable. Shape the mince mixture into 12 equal patties and wrap each patty in a strip of banana leaf. Heat the remaining ghee in a frying pan or griddle and cook the wrapped patties over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes on each side
• or until the lamb is cooked through. Alternatively
• grill over a hot barbecue for 2–3 minutes on each side
• or until cooked through. Set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
• To make the pomegranate raita
• reserve a few pomegranate seeds to garnish. In a mixing bowl
• combine the rest of the pomegranate seeds with all of the other ingredients (except the coriander leaves) and mix well. Transfer the raita to a serving bowl
• garnish with the coriander and reserved pomegranate seeds and chill until ready to serve.
• Brush the warm breads with the ghee and serve with the kebabs and the pomegranate raita. You can also serve with Vivek's green coriander chutney.