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Crushing on kebabs, biting a few and making of some quick ones

Kebabs are the crowd-favourite starters at every party. Here's a bunch you can make quick and easy

Durri Bhalla Published 12.11.23, 07:38 AM

Pictures: B Halder

Kebabs are a beloved dish in India. It originated in the Middle-East and was brought to India by the Moghuls. There are so many types of kebabs. In an earlier article I have already shared how to make Shami Kebabs, Jaali Kebab and Adana Kebab, among others. Here I will share some quick and easy recipes for non-vegetarians as well as vegetarian kebabs which can be had as starters or as main dish with naans, Arabic rice, or similar stapes.

TANDOORI SAUCE

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This is a basic tandoori sauce which can be used for tandoori chicken, prawns, fish and a variety of other dishes.

INGREDIENTS

150g curd

1tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1½tsp cumin powder

1tsp turmeric powder

½tsp garam masala powder

1½tsp red chilli powder

1tsp salt

1tbsp of coconut and cashew paste

A pinch of red colour mixed in 2tsp water

METHOD

Mix all the above ingredients together and keep in the fridge.

TANDOORI PRAWN

INGREDIENTS

1kg large fresh prawns. Cleaned and deveined. Marinate with 1 lemon juice and 1tsp salt. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Then wash them and wipe them dry

Tandoori sauce as required

Butter or oil for brushing

Sprinkling of chaat masala

Accompaniment of salad and chutney

METHOD

Marinate the prawns in tandoori sauce for 2 hours.

Put them through skewers.

Roast till tender, brushing with butter or oil. (If you do not have a tandoor, you can grill them in grilling pan by greasing the pan a little.)

Remove from skewers and sprinkle a little chaat masala.

Accompany the kebabs with a green salad or with sliced onions, lemon juice and green chutney.

FISH TIKKA KEBABS

INGREDIENTS

#For the first marinade

750g bekti fish fillet cut into big cubes (size depends on you)

1tsp salt

Juice of ½ lemon

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp green chilli paste

METHOD

Marinade the fish with the above ingredients and keep for ½ hour.

#For the second marinade

Tandoori sauce

Onions and red and green bell peppers cut into squares

Now marinate the fish pieces together with vegetables in the tandoori sauce for 1 hour.

METHOD

Now you can either skewer them or cook straight in the grilling pan, brushing them with butter or oil till they are tender.

Fish does not take a lot of time to cook so you have to be careful when cooking it.

Sprinkle chaat masala over it.

Have with green chutney and lemon wedges.

CHICKEN TANGRI KEBAB

INGREDIENTS

6 Chicken legs. Make deep slits all over

2tsp fresh green chilli paste

1½ tsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp salt

½tsp garam masala

1tsp white pepper

4tbsp thick curd

1 egg whisked

A pinch of red food colouring

1tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

METHOD

Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients for at least 8 hours or overnight for best results.

Roast the chicken till tender. About 15 minutes, brushing with little butter when roasting to get a good shine.

Sprinkling chaat masala is optional.

CHICKEN MALAI CHEESE KEBAB

INGREDIENTS

#For the first marinade

500g chicken breasts cut into 1½ inch cubes

1tsp ginger paste

1tsp garlic paste

1tsp green chilli paste (or according to taste)

1tsp salt

1½tsp white pepper

½tsp garam masala powder

1tsp cumin powder

½tsp coriander powder

2tbsp curd

2tbsp cream

Mix all the above ingredients and marinate in fridge overnight or a few hours.

#For the second marinade

2tbsp besan, roasted

1 egg whisked

½ cup grated cheese

1tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Keep for 1 hour

METHOD

Now skewer the kebabs and grill for 15 minutes in a greased grill pan, turning it often and brushing with melted butter on and off.

Sprinkle chaat masala (optional).

PANEER TIKKA

INGREDIENTS

400g paneer cut into 2-inch cubes

2 capsicums

2 tomatoes cut into cubes

2 onions cut into cubes

#For the sauce

1 cup beaten curd

1½tsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp turmeric

1tsp red chilli powder

1tsp cumin powder

½tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

Mix and add paneer and vegetables and keep for 1 hour.

METHOD

Put in skewers and roast for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle a little chaat masala (optional) .

Serve with a fresh green salad.

MUTTON SEEKH KEBAB

INGREDIENTS

500g mutton mince

1tsp red chilli powder

1tsp black pepper

1tsp cumin powder

1½tsp coriander powder

1tsp turmeric powder

2tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1tsp green chillies paste

1tsp ginger paste

1tsp garlic paste

2tbsp raw papaya paste (it acts as a tenderiser)

1tsp salt or according to taste

2tbsp grated onions

1½tbsp corn starch

2tbsp oil

Mix all the above ingredients well.

METHOD

Take iron skewers or chopsticks and take a ball of mince and shape like seekhs.

Grease a grill pan and place the skewers in it. Turn after 5 minutes. Brush with little ghee or oil. Once it turns brown and is cooked thoroughly remove from seekhs and serve with lemon wedges and onion salad.

CHICKEN HARIYALI TIKKA

INGREDIENTS

#For the paste

1 cup coriander leaves

½ cup mint leaves

4 green chillies

1-inch piece of ginger

6 garlic cloves

1tbsp water so that chutney becomes smooth

Grind all the above ingredients

#For the marinade

500g chicken cut into cubes

½ cup curd

Green paste made earlier

½tsp turmeric powder

½tsp cumin powder

¼tsp pepper powder

1tsp garam masala powder

1tsp lemon juice

1½tbsp oil

½tsp kasoori methi roasted and crushed

METHOD

Mix the chicken with all the above ingredients. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Then skewer them in bamboo sticks. Roast in a greased grilling pan till cooked well and tender. Brush with melted butter while grilling. Flip the kebabs every 2 minutes till all sides are cooked well.

Note: Smoking the kebabs

Just before cooking the kebabs put a small steel bowl in the middle of marinade. Place a piece of burning coal and pour a little ghee or melted butter over the coal. Then at once cover the marinade bowl. Keep covered for only 2 minutes. Not more then that. Then remove the steel bowl and then you can skewer the kebabs.

These kebabs taste good with onion rings, lemon juice and a green salad.

You can have these kebabs with parathas, naans or biryani rice.

Durri Bhalla is a cookery expert and author of Indian Bohra Cuisine and Inner Truth To Good Health And Weight Loss. You can find her @durribhallakitchen on Instagram, @ Durribhallakitchen on Facebook and Durri Bhalla on YouTube

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