1,000 Indian Recipes (111 page)

Kaala Channa Kabaabs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

These
kabaabs
double as vegetarian hamburger patties, and rightly so—they are a good protein food. Serve them with the normal hamburger fixings or with Indian chutneys, such as
Basic Green Chutney
or
Yogurt Cheese Chutney with Minced Greens
.

1 cup dried black chickpeas (kaalae channae), sorted and washed in 3 to 4 changes of water

2 to 3 cups water

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

5 to 6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
₂
cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

³
⁄
₄
to 1 cup chickpea flour

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

1.
Soak the dal overnight in water to cover by 2 inches. Then drain and place the dal, water, garam masala, and salt in a pressure cooker. Secure the lid and cook over high heat until the regulator indicates high pressure, then cook about 1 minute more. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook another 1 minute. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to depressurize on its own, 12 to 15 minutes. Then, carefully open the lid and check to see if the chickpeas are very soft, with some of them broken; if not, cover, bring up to pressure, and cook under pressure another minute.

2.
Alternately, place the dal, spices and water in a large pot, cover and boil until the chickpeas are soft and all the water has evaporated, about 30 minutes.

3.
Let cool, then transfer to a food processor along with garlic, ginger, chile peppers, and cilantro, and process until smooth. Add half the chickpea flour and process once again, adding more flour until everything starts to gather, almost like soft dough that can be shaped. Divide into 25 portions and shape into smooth patties or rolls.

4.
Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until it registers 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. Fry the kabaabs, as many as the wok can hold at one time without crowding, turning them with a slotted spatula a few times until golden and crispy on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a platter and serve hot.

Skewered Vegetable Kabaabs with Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

Sabzi-Seekh Kabaabs

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Lots of vegetables, some starchy and some otherwise,
paneer
cheese, nuts, herbs, and spices, all come together harmoniously to give you a vibrant, health-ful dish.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

1 large russet (or any) potato

1 small orange-fleshed yam

¹
⁄
₄
cup coarsely chopped cashews

¹
⁄
₄
cup coarsely chopped almonds

6 quarter-size slices of peeled fresh ginger

2 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, coarsely chopped

1 cup
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought), coarsely crumbled

1 cup finely chopped fresh fenugreek leaves

3 cups coarsely chopped mixed fresh vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, green beans

2 to 3 tablespoons bread crumbs

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ajwain seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

16 to 20 metal or bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

1 to 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

About 2 cups shredded green or red leaf lettuce

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Cook the potato and the yam in lightly salted boiling water to cover until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, then peel. Transfer to a medium bowl and mash together.

2.
In a food processor, process together the cashews, almonds, ginger, garlic, and green chile peppers, until minced. Add the paneer cheese and fenugreek leaves and process again until minced. Transfer to a large bowl.

3.
Place the vegetables in the food processor and process until minced. Add to the processed nut mixture. Then add the bread crumbs, mashed potato and yam, ajwain seeds, cayenne pepper, and salt, and mix well.

4.
Divide into 16 to 20 portions, then shape and cook as per directions for
Skewered Minced Paneer Cheese Kabaabs
, starting from Step 2. Baste with the butter before cooking the kabaabs. Transfer to a platter lined with lettuce, dust lightly with the chaat masala, and serve.

Variation:
Shape the mixture into patties and deep-fry as per directions for
Deep-Fried Lamb Kabaab Patties
, starting with Step 4.

Tikka Kabaabs and Marinades

Grilling Marinades

Indians have a special set of flavors and marinades reserved for grilled foods, especially
tikka kabaabs
. Here, I offer some of my favorite marinades, from a seemingly limitless collection. Although most of the marinades in this book can be used interchangeably, I have arranged them by types of meats, so the strength of the marinade will be self-explanatory. If you wish to use the lamb marinade for poultry or fish, keep in mind that poultry and fish tend to be lighter and less intense, so you should use less of the marinade or simply decrease its potency, and vice versa.

For marinating time, lamb usually needs at least 24 hours, chicken at least 12 hours, and fish at least 2 hours.

Every recipe is enough to marinate about 2 pounds of
tikka kabaabs
.

Basic Grilled Lamb Tikka Kabaabs

Gosht Tikka

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tikkas
are boneless, skinless pieces of meat that are first marinated and then grilled. Since lamb is a tough and gamy meat to start with, lamb
tikkas
require robust marinades, stronger spices, more intense flavors, and a longer marinating period than chicken and fish.

Select any one of the
tikka marinades
, mix in some more ginger, garlic, and spices if you wish, then follow the directions in this recipe.

1 recipe
Tikka Marinade
of your choice

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

1 recipe
Kabaab and Tikka Finishing Glaze

8 to 10 metal or bamboo skewers soaked, in water at least 30 minutes

Lemon and tomato wedges

1 to 2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced

1.
Prepare the marinade. Then, place the lamb in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the marinade (saving about
¹
⁄
₄
cup to use for basting as you grill) and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover the bowl and marinate the lamb in the refrigerator at least 12 and up to 36 hours. (To prevent potential salmonella contamination, never marinate poultry, meats, or seafood at room temperature.)

2.
When ready to cook, prepare the finishing glaze. Then, thread the lamb pieces on skewers (4 to 5 per skewer), and discard the used marinade. (If you prefer, immediately boil the marinade about 5 minutes and use it as a sauce. Boiling kills any bacteria.)

3.
Preheat a grill over high heat to 400°F to 425°F and grill the lamb skewers, turning and rotating as needed, until they are seared on all sides, about 5 minutes. Then move the skewers to the sides where the heat is lower and continue to grill until the lamb is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Baste occasionally with the reserved marinade. During the last minute or so, baste with the finishing glaze and transfer to a serving platter lined with lemon and tomato wedges. Top with green chile peppers and serve.

Variation:
Place the skewered pieces in a broiler tray and grill about 8 inches from the heating element, until charred all over. Then heat the oven to 450°F, cover the skewers with foil, and bake until the lamb is soft and tender, about 25 minutes.

Basic Chicken Tikka Kabaabs

Murgh Tikka

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Skinless, boneless pieces of tandoor-grilled chicken, flavored with one of the countless Indian marinades, are popular items on restaurant menus and are quite easy to enjoy at home, as well. Granted, we don't have a tandoor, but we do have grilling options, an oven, and, if all else fails, a saucepan.

1 recipe
Tikka Marinade
of your choice

2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1
¹
⁄
₂
-inch pieces

1 recipe
Kabaab and Tikka Finishing Glaze

8 to 10 metal or bamboo skewers, soaked in water at least 30 minutes

2 cups shredded greens, such as romaine or green leaf lettuce

Lemon and tomato wedges

Scallions, thinly sliced

1 to 2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced

1.
Prepare the marinade. Then place the chicken in a large non-reactive bowl, add the marinade (saving about
¹
⁄
₄
cup to use for basting as you grill), and mix well, making sure all the pieces are well-coated. Cover the bowl and marinate the chicken in the refrigerator, at least 6 and up to 24 hours. (To prevent potential salmonella contamination, never marinate poultry, meat, or seafood at room temperature.)