Seekh kebab vs reshmi kebab: what is the difference?

What does our menu say they share?

The joint description establishes four facts: the meat is minced, the choices named are lamb or chicken, the seasoning includes eastern herbs, and the kebabs are cooked on skewers. Both portion sizes and the gluten-free marker apply to the combined entry.

It does not provide two separate ingredient lists, identify individual spices, state a heat level or explicitly say which meat belongs to which kebab name. We avoid presenting a common restaurant convention as if it were printed fact. The live dine-in menu and the team at the restaurant are the final sources for current choices.

What is a seekh kebab?

Oxford’s kebab definition describes small pieces of meat and vegetables cooked on a wooden or metal stick, while seekh kebab has a more specific minced-meat form. India’s official tourism site describes a Bhopal seekh kebab as minced meat wrapped around a skewer and roasted over an open flame.

That broad context fits the skewer and mince language on our menu, but it does not reveal our exact spice blend or cooking sequence. For the role of high heat and charcoal in nearby dishes, read our tandoor cooking guide.

What is a reshmi kebab?

Collins Hindi–English Dictionary translates reshmi as “silky,” meaning smooth and soft. That helps explain the name’s common association with tenderness, but a word meaning is not a recipe and our menu does not make a specific texture promise.

Our joint entry lists minced lamb or chicken without explicitly assigning one meat to Reshmi Kebab. It would therefore be overconfident to state a mapping as a guaranteed current service detail. Ask when ordering if you want one named kebab, a particular meat or information about marinade ingredients.

Where else do these kebabs appear on the menu?

Seekh kebab appears in Tandoori Mixed alongside tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and boti kebab. It is also listed in Set Meal A, Set Meal B, the Great Kathmandu Special Banquet and Nepalese Mixed Masala. Those combinations make it one of the menu’s recurring grilled elements.

Reshmi kebab appears in the Kathmandu Mixed Starter alongside king prawn, tandoori chop and fish tikka. The separate mixed-dish descriptions do not repeat portions, dietary markers or the complete joint-entry recipe, so details should not be transferred automatically.

For another skewer format that uses pieces rather than published minced meat, compare our shashlik guide. For loose mince and meatballs, read the keema guide and kofta guide.

How should you choose between them?

If you simply want a skewered minced-meat starter, the joint entry gives you half or full portions. If your preference is specifically lamb, chicken, Seekh or Reshmi, ask the team to confirm how today’s choice is served rather than relying on an assumed one-to-one mapping.

For a table seeking variety, a kebab can be paired with a vegetable starter and a sauce-led main. Tandoori Mixed gives a broader mixed-starter selection, while Kathmandu Mixed Starter introduces seafood. Our ordering guide helps prevent too many similar starters.

Are the kebabs gluten-free?

The combined Seekh Kebab / Reshmi Kebab entry is marked gluten-free. It has no mild, hot, vegetarian, vegan or nuts marker. An absent label does not prove an allergen is absent or establish a heat level.

Mixed starters and set meals have their own ingredient context and do not necessarily inherit this single-item marker. For coeliac disease, allergies or intolerances, speak to the team. The Food Standards Agency stresses current allergen information and cross-contact communication.

Common questions

Is seekh kebab always lamb?

Seekh can use different minced meats in wider cooking. Our joint entry names minced lamb or chicken but does not explicitly map each meat to one kebab name.

Is reshmi kebab always chicken?

Chicken appears in an official Indian tourism description, but our menu groups the choices. Confirm the current serving with the team.

Are these kebabs hot?

No heat rating is printed, so a level should not be inferred from the name.

Can I order a half portion?

Yes. The entry offers £8.50 half and £13.50 full portions.