Beef Bihari Kabab Recipe (Khyber Shinwari Restaurant Style)
Beef Bihari kabab is thin strips of beef soaked in a hot, spicy masala and cooked fast over coal. This is the restaurant version we filmed at Khyber Shinwari Restaurant in Karachi: 5 kg of beef, eight dry spices, papaya paste to make the meat tender and a cup of oil. Below you get the exact 5 kg quantities from the video, plus a 1 kg version for home.
Serves: 5 people (1 kg beef) | Prep: 20 min | Marinate: 2–3 hours | Grill: 10–12 min
Difficulty: Easy | Best for: BBQ nights, Bakra Eid, parties
Heat level: Spicy, with a deep red chilli colour
Watch the Beef Bihari Kabab Video
The full 5-minute video plays inside the recipe card below. To jump straight to one step, open it on YouTube:
What Makes This Bihari Kabab Different
Fenugreek seed powder. A spoon of ground methi dana gives the slightly bitter, smoky smell you notice in restaurant Bihari kabab. Leave it out and the kabab tastes like plain tikka.
Cumin ground with green cardamom. The restaurant grinds these two together into one powder. It adds warmth and a light sweet fragrance to all that chilli.
Papaya instead of long marinating. Raw papaya paste softens the beef, so thin strips turn tender in 2 to 3 hours instead of overnight.
Plain oil, no yogurt. Many home recipes use mustard oil, yogurt or fried onion paste. This marinade has none of them. Just dry spices, ginger garlic paste, papaya and ordinary cooking oil, so the spices do all the work.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Beef: use a boneless, fairly lean cut such as undercut or topside. Slice it across the grain into strips about ¼ inch (5–6 mm) thick. Half-frozen beef is much easier to slice thin.
- Raw papaya paste: blend green, unripe papaya with its skin. Ripe papaya does not work the same way. Meat tenderiser powder is a substitute; follow the packet amount.
- Fenugreek seed powder: dry-roast methi dana for a minute, cool and grind. Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) taste different and are not a direct swap.
- Cumin with green cardamom: if you do not have a ready blend, grind 1 tbsp cumin seeds with 3–4 green cardamom pods and use the amount in the table.
- Oil: any neutral cooking oil. If you like the sharp taste of mustard oil, swap in half.
Beef Bihari Kabab Ingredients for 1 kg, 2 kg and 5 kg
| Ingredient | 1 kgserves 5 | 2 kgserves 10 | 5 kgserves 25 (video) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef | |||
| Boneless beef, thin strips | 1 kg | 2 kg | 5 kg |
| Dry spices and pastes | |||
| Salt | 2½ tsp | 1½ tbsp | 4 tbsp |
| Black pepper | 1¼ tsp | 2½ tsp | 2 tbsp |
| Ginger garlic paste | 2 tsp | 1¼ tbsp | 3 tbsp |
| Cumin powder with green cardamom | 2 tsp | 1¼ tbsp | 3 tbsp |
| Coriander powder | 1¼ tsp | 2½ tsp | 2 tbsp |
| Fenugreek seed powder (methi dana) | ½ tsp | 1¼ tsp | 1 tbsp |
| Garam masala | 2 tsp | 1¼ tbsp | 3 tbsp |
| Red chilli powder | 1 tbsp | 2 tbsp | 5 tbsp |
| Tenderiser and oil | |||
| Raw papaya paste | 1–1½ tbsp* | 2–3 tbsp* | used, amount not given |
| Cooking oil | 3 tbsp | 6–7 tbsp | 1 cup |
| Timing | |||
| Marinating time | 2–3 hours | 2–3 hours | 2–3 hours |
| Grilling time over coal | 10–12 min | 10–12 min | 10–12 min |
The 5 kg column is the exact recipe from the video. We scaled the 1 kg and 2 kg columns down from it. *The video adds papaya paste but does not say how much, so the papaya amounts are our suggestion. Start low: too much papaya turns the beef mushy.
Step-by-Step: How Beef Bihari Kabab Is Made
1. Slice the beef thin
Cut the boneless beef into long, thin strips, across the grain. Thin strips are the whole point of Bihari kabab: they take in the masala quickly and cook through in minutes over coal.
2. Add the dry spices
Put the beef in a large tray. Add the salt, black pepper, ginger garlic paste, cumin and cardamom powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder, garam masala and red chilli powder. In the video the spices go in one by one, over the whole tray.
3. Add papaya paste and oil, then mix
Add the papaya paste, then the oil. Mix with your hands for a few minutes, lifting and turning the strips until every piece is coated and the tray looks evenly red.
4. Marinate for 2 to 3 hours
Cover the tray and leave it for 2 to 3 hours. The restaurant keeps it in the freezer for this time, which also firms up the thin strips and makes them easier to skewer. At home, the fridge works fine. Because of the papaya, do not leave it overnight.
5. Thread onto skewers
Thread each strip onto a skewer, folding it back and forth like a ribbon. Push the pieces close together so they hold on the skewer and stay juicy.
6. Grill over hot coals
Grill over glowing coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning the skewers often so the chilli does not burn. In the last few minutes, brush the kababs with oil.
The Complete Beef Bihari Kabab Recipe
Beef Bihari Kabab (Restaurant Style)
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the beef into long, thin strips across the grain.
- Add the salt, black pepper, ginger garlic paste, cumin and cardamom powder, coriander powder, fenugreek powder, garam masala and red chilli powder.
- Add the papaya paste and oil. Mix well by hand until every strip is coated.
- Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Do not marinate overnight.
- Thread the strips onto skewers, folding them like a ribbon and pushing them close together.
- Grill over glowing coals for 10 to 12 minutes, turning often.
- Brush with oil in the last few minutes, then serve with onion, lemon and salad.
Video
Notes
Bihari Kabab Problems and How to Fix Them
- The kabab is tough: the strips were too thick or the marinating was too short. Slice thinner and give it the full 2 to 3 hours.
- The kabab is mushy: too much papaya, or it sat too long in the marinade. Use less papaya next time and never marinate it overnight.
- Burnt outside, raw inside: the coals were flaming. Wait until they glow with a layer of white ash, and keep turning the skewers.
- Dry kabab: it was overcooked. Thin strips need only 10 to 12 minutes. Brush with oil near the end.
- Pieces fall off the skewer: fold the strips tighter and push them together. Cold, firm meat stays on the skewer better.
Variations
- Chicken Bihari kabab: use boneless chicken thigh strips. Skip the papaya, marinate for 1 to 2 hours and grill for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Oven method: lay the skewers on a rack under a very hot grill (broiler) and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once. For a smoky taste, give it coal smoke (dum) for 5 minutes after cooking.
- Pan method: cook the strips in a hot, heavy pan with a little oil in small batches, then give them coal smoke.
Serving and Storing Bihari Kabab
Serve straight off the skewers with onion rings, lemon wedges, sliced cucumber and tomato, and shredded cabbage, as in the video. Paratha, naan and mint chutney go well with it. Cooked kababs keep for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat them in a hot pan for a couple of minutes so they do not dry out.
Beef Bihari Kabab FAQs
What is Bihari kabab made of?
Thin strips of boneless beef marinated in red chilli, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, papaya paste and oil, then grilled on skewers over coal.
Why is papaya added to Bihari kabab?
Raw papaya contains an enzyme that breaks down tough meat fibres. It lets the beef become tender in a few hours.
How long should I marinate Bihari kabab?
2 to 3 hours, as in the video. With papaya in the marinade, longer is not better: overnight can make the beef soft and mushy.
Can I make Bihari kabab without a grill?
Yes. Use an oven grill or a heavy pan, then add coal smoke at the end for the barbecue taste.
Is Bihari kabab the same as Bihari boti?
The marinade is very similar. Bihari kabab is usually thin strips folded onto skewers, while Bihari boti can be small chunks. See our beef Bihari boti recipe for the boti version.
More Bihari and BBQ Recipes
- Restaurant Style Beef Bihari Boti: the Bakra Eid boti version.
- Hassan Zai Bihari Boti: a koyla-smoked Bihari boti from Hassan Zai.
- Beef Pasanday, Bihari Style: the same Bihari flavours, cooked as a curry.
- Sulemani Mutton Karahi: filmed at the same Khyber Shinwari Restaurant.
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