December 9, 2021

Kabab Parmesan

Ground chicken kababs on a bed of Indian-spiced tomato sauce and topped with fresh melted mozzarella.

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Cook Time 1 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine bengali, Indian, Italian

Servings 8

Ingredients

Kababs:

2 lbs ground chicken
1 onion, finely diced (medium sized)
1/2 cup finely diced bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp shish kabab seasoning mix
1/2 lemon (juice of)
2 green chilies, finely diced
1 egg
1 slice bread (any type)
oil as needed for brushing/frying

Sauce:

1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, thinly sliced (medium sized)
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp cumin powder

Other Ingredients:

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into 8 slices
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Instructions

Kababs:

Mix together all ingredients except egg, bread, and oil.
Tear up the bread into tiny pieces and mix in, along with the egg. Combine well.
Fry a small test piece and taste for salt and seasonings. Adjust as necessary.
Separate the mixture into 8 equal parts. Use your hands to form round, flattened discs about 2 inches in diameter. Dab oil on your hands as you're working to prevent sticking.
Set the kababs on a tray in one layer and place in the freezer for 15 minutes for easy handling.
Brush kababs generously with oil. Heat a grill or frying pan and place kababs oil side down. Fry until the underside is golden and the sides are starting to become opaque. Brush the top with oil and carefully flip. Kababs are done when both sides are nicely browned. You can add extra oil if preferred. Set aside.

Sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat oil and sauté onion and garlic. Add garam masala and cumin and sauté for another minute. Add tomato sauce and let it come to a simmer.

Assemble:

In a flat dish, spread a few tablespoons of the sauce to cover the bottom. Arrange kababs over it in a single layer. Top each kabab with a teaspoon of sauce and place a slice of mozzarella on top. Sprinkle grated parmesan over everything.
Cover with foil (the underside should be sprayed with oil and tented to prevent disturbing the cheese). Bake at 350° for about 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Keyword chicken parmesan, kabab, parmesan

What is Kabab Parmesan?

You know all about chicken parmesan, the classic Italian dish of breaded chicken cutlets baked with tomato sauce and cheese. So of course I wanted to recreate that with my beloved Indian flavors. Kabab is a blanket term for a myriad of grilled meats originating from various countries in the world. The kabab I use in this recipe is a chicken chapli kabab, which is very popular in Bangladeshi cuisine. The sauce in this recipe is also flavored with desi spices like garam masala and cumin. Throw in some fresh mozzarella with the kababs and sauce…and you have Kabab Parmesan! This dish is a great pick for dinner parties and basically any situation where you would like to impress.

Can I Use Another Type of Meat?

Yes, absolutely. You can replace the chicken with beef or lamb if you want. Just factor in the cooking time of your meat to ensure it’s cooked through.

The Steps, in a Nutshell

Okay, so this one has a few separate steps. But the work is completely worth it, I promise! First, you need to make the kababs. Just mix all the ingredients really well. You’ll notice that in the recipe I mention tearing up a slice of bread into tiny pieces. It may seem strange, but the bread does a great job of keeping the kababs fluffy and soft. I also mention doing a taste test with a pinch of the mixture before grilling. I highly recommend not skipping this step. The seasonings of the kababs cannot be adjusted once they’re grilled.

The patties are easy to form with your hands (you will need both hands). Just dab some oil on your hands as you work to prevent sticking. Once you have 8 round, flattened discs, stick them into the freezer for 15 minutes so they’re easy to work with.

I love using my stovetop grill for kababs! You can also use a frying pan. Brush oil generously on the kababs before they go in and before they’re flipped over. They should be nice and browned on both sides and the insides should be almost cooked through (they will get finished off in the oven).

I’ve tried to cut down the time on this recipe by using store bought tomato sauce and jazzing it up instead of making it completely from scratch. I’m a big fan of semi-homemade, especially when it’s so easy to add your own ingredients to elevate flavor.

The assembly of this dish is actually quite fun: sauce, kababs, more sauce, mozzarella, parmesan. Then bake away! Don’t forget that cilantro garnish at the end for a perfectly fusion look and taste.