Burns Road style Bun Kebab on sale in Jackson Heights, Queens
Bun kebab (
Urdu: بَن کباب) or anda shami (
Urdu: انڈا شامی) is a sandwich that originated in
Pakistan, but is now popular all throughout the
Indian subcontinent. Bun kebabs are a signature in Pakistani metro cities like
Karachi and
Lahore, but they can be found all over Pakistan.[1] Bun Kebab vendors are scattered all across Karachi, vendors on
Burns Road being particularly famous,[2] and imitated by frozen bun kebabs sold in South Asian supermarkets across the world.[3] In India, it is eaten as a regular street food, specifically, in the Indian cities of
Bhopal,
Lucknow, and
Hyderabad; it is especially popular with
Indian Muslims, the dish is eaten late-night during
Ramadan. Bun kebabs are usually sold from roadside stalls, side street vendors, and fast food restaurants.[4] They are also commonly known as anday wala burger.[5] A ‘fried’ version of the bun kebab is popular in
Lahore, known as ‘bun plaster’ due to copious amounts of butter and super tender or paste-like kebab mixture used in it. Bun kebabs are usually eaten as a main course or snack.[1]
Ingredients
A bun kebab consists of a shallow-fried spicy patty called
shami kebab, onions, and
chutney. The chutney is made up from tamarind (imli), salt, cumin powder, whole red chillies, and/or
raita in a
bun. The bun is grilled on the pan.
Bun kebab patties are typically composed of ground beef or mutton, ground lentils, powdered cumin seeds, and an egg batter. Although they can be vegetarian. The patties are fried in
ghee or oil. A bun kebab can also be served with a fried egg or omelette[4] and topped with tomatoes, cucumbers, or onions.[1]
Variations
The patty,
shami kebab, can be made of chicken, beef,
mutton, potato (aloo wala), egg (anday wala), or lentil (daal).[1] The beef and egg recipe is the most popular, especially among street vendors.
