1,000 Indian Recipes (106 page)

Warm water in a flat bowl to dip the wafers

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tablespoons water

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 cups peanut oil for deep frying

1.
Prepare the potatoes, then coarsely mash them. Divide into 8 portions.

2.
Working with each paapad separately, place in the water until soft, about 10 seconds. Shake off any excess water and transfer to a large plate.

3.
Place one portion of the potato mixture in the center of each wafer. Fold the paapad over the filling to make a semi-circle. Then make a lengthwise roll, starting from the straight edge, rolling toward the rounded edges, securing the filling inside. Before reaching the end, seal the exposed edge with the flour-water paste and place seam side down on a cutting board until all the rolls are made. Cut each roll into 3 to 4 pieces.

4.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet until it reaches 350°F to 375°F on a frying thermometer or until a small piece of the mixture dropped into the hot oil bubbles and immediately rises to the top. Place the rolls into the hot oil, adding as many as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, and fry until golden (almost instantly). Drain on paper towels and serve.

Kabaabs

Kabaabs
(also written
kababs
or
kebabs
) were bequeathed to us by the Mughal emperors who ruled India from the 16th to the mid-18th century. There are numerous
kabaab
variations but generally they are grilled or deep-fried meats (bone-in or boneless),
paneer
cheese, or vegetables. The pieces are sometimes marinated, and may be used whole, or ground and cooked on skewers or as patties (similar to hamburgers).

Within the
kabaab
category are the smaller
tikkas—
2- to 2
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces of boneless meats,
paneer
cheese, or chunks of vegetables that are marinated before being cooked.

Both the
kabaabs
and
tikkas
can be a first or the main course. Often,
kabaabs
and
tikkas
are rolled up in bread wraps, topped with chopped salads and fresh chutneys, and served as quick fixes. These rolled and wrapped delights are a major part of India's street food.

Leftover
kabaabs
and
tikkas
can be shredded and added to everyday salads, sandwiches, pita pockets, and Mexican-style tacos. They can also be simmered with
masalas
(spice blends) and sauces to make special entrées such as
Grilled Chicken in Spicy Sauce
.

Kabaab and Tikka Finishing Glaze

Before they are finished, all
tandoor
-cooked
kabaabs
and
tikkas
are basted with a special finishing glaze that is made with seasoned
ghee
, butter, or oil and, occasionally, lemon juice. Brushed on the foods during the last few minutes, while the meat is still in the
tandoor
(or on your grill), this glaze really jazzes up the flavors and gives the food a brilliant shine.

Start with:

1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter or any vegetable oil, mixed with
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon Asian sesame oil or ghee

Add:

2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice, or vinegar

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground black salt, or to taste

Then mix in any one of the following:

•
¹
⁄
₂
to 1 teaspoon dry-roasted and coarsely ground cumin or black peppercorns (
Dry-Roasting Spices
)

•
1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

Skewered Minced Lamb Kabaabs with Saffron

Seekh Kabaabs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Seekh
is the Hindi word for skewers and
seekh kabaabs
are skewer-grilled minced meat,
paneer
cheese, or vegetable rolls. The spicy hot minced mixture is pressed on metal skewers and grilled in the
tandoor
. The end product may look like hot dogs, but tastes a lot different!

1 teaspoon
Kashmiri Garam Masala
or garam masala

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon
Chaat Masala
or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₂
cup
Basic Onion Paste

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon saffron threads

1 tablespoon milk

1
¹
⁄
₂
pounds extra lean ground lamb

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 to 3 tablespoons semolina or chickpea flour, if needed

12 to 15 metal or bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

2 cups shredded lettuce, such as green or red leaf, to line a platter

1.
Prepare the garam masala, chaat masala, and the onion paste. Roast the saffron in a small skillet, about 1 minute, then grind it with the back of a spoon and soak it in the milk about 30 minutes.

2.
Place the lamb in a large mixing bowl and mix in the onion and ginger-garlic pastes, garam masala, salt, and saffron milk. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator about 4 hours.

3.
Preheat the grill to 375°F to 400°F, or the broiler. Moisten your clean fingers with water and divide the meat into 12 to 15 equal parts. Work each portion into a long, thin shape, similar to a hot dog. If the mixture seems too soft to work with, mix in the semolina (or chickpea flour), using as much as needed to make a soft dough that holds its shape.

4.
Thread onto the skewers and grill at medium-high or broil on the top rack (about 6 inches away from the heating element), turning frequently until crispy yet still moist. Transfer to a platter lined with lettuce, dust lightly with the chaat masala, and serve.

Marinated Lamb Kabaabs

Boti Kabaabs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Boti
is a piece of bone-in meat. The authentic version of these
kabaabs
calls for bone-in pieces, although over the years this has changed and
boti kabaabs
all over India are now made with boneless meat. My recipe here uses boneless leg of lamb.

For a true and authentic version, ask your butcher to trim and cut lamb shanks into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces.

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Basic Ginger-Garlic Paste
(or store-bought)

1
¹
⁄
₂
to 2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, all visible fat trimmed, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

¹
⁄
₂
cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₄
cup fresh lemon or lime juice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons salt, or to taste

6 metal or bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. With a fork, prick each piece of lamb all over and place in a large non-reactive bowl. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, oil, coriander, cumin, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and salt. Add the yogurt mixture to the lamb pieces. Mix well, making sure that all the pieces are coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator about 24 hours.

2.
Thread the marinated pieces of chicken on metal or bamboo skewers (4 to 5 pieces per skewer) and discard the marinade. (If you absolutely must, immediately boil the marinade about 5 minutes and use it in sauces. Boiling kills any bacteria.)

3.
Preheat a grill on medium-high heat (375°F to 400°F) and grill, turning the skewered pieces over until they are lightly charred and very tender, about 20 minutes. During the last minute or so, baste with the melted butter. Remove to a serving platter, garnish with the cilantro and serve.

Pan-Fried Lamb Kabaabs

Bhunnae Boti Kabaab

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Made with boneless leg of lamb, these
kabaabs
are first softened in a spicy water bath, then coated with eggs and spices and pan-fried until they develop a rich golden crust. Serve them with
Yogurt Chutney with Puréed Greens
.