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
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
