Lights, camera (one for your Insta handle and reel) and some action in the kitchen can make for a super-hit Diwali party! If you are spending hours wracking your brains and browsing YouTube videos for the right snacks to go with the drinks, here are some kebab recipes that are sure to have everyone licking their fingers:
Mutton seekh kebab
You can never go wrong with this all-time favourite. Make sure you have enough because everyone’s gonna be asking for seconds.
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Ingredients:
- Mutton mince: 300 grams
- Mutton fat (finely chopped): 50 grams
- Onion (finely chopped): 2 large
- Green chillies (finely chopped): 2
- Coriander leaves (finely chopped): 2 tablespoons
- Ginger and garlic paste: 2 and ½ tablespoons
- Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon, roasted
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala powder: 1 teaspoon, dry roasted
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
- Butter or vegetable oil
- Skewers
Recipe:
- Marinate mutton with onion, mutton fat, green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and garlic paste, coriander and red chilli powder, lemon juice, salt and sugar. Add 1 tablespoon of butter, mix well, cover and let it rest for at least hour or preferably overnight. Remember, the meat has to be tight enough to stick to the skewers
- Make kebab sticks and brush some butter or oil on each skewer
- Heat butter or oil in non-stick pan and place the skewers. Cook on low flame with cover for 15-20 minutes
- Check if meat is done and serve straight from the skillet
Tips:
- Drain excess water from mutton
- If the dough needs a little tightening, add one egg and 2 tablespoons of roasted sattu or all-purpose flour
Pork sheesh kebab
If you are a pork lover looking for something offbeat to add to your kebab platter, your search ends here. Watch your guests pig out on these delicious starters.
Ingredients:
- Pork (boneless), cut into one-inch cubes: 300 grams
- Onion, cut into one-inch pieces: 2 large
- Bell peppers, cut into one-inch pieces: 1 medium of each colour
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
- Ginger, grated: 1 tablespoon
- Black pepper powder: 1 tablespoon
- Cumin, roasted and powedered: 1 teaspoon
- Salt
- Vegetable oil
- Skewers
Recipe:
- Marinate the pork pieces with lemon juice, grated ginger, black pepper powder, cumin powder and salt. Leave for at least an hour or preferably overnight
- Arrange the meat-onion-bell pepper in alternate sequence on the skewers
- Preheat the oven for 10 minutes and then grill at 200° Celsius for 10 to 12 minutes
- Check if the meat is done and seasoned. Serve hot when ready
Beef kofta kebab
If you are a fan of Tunday, galauti, chapli shami kebabs, this one’s going to hit the right notes for you. Impress your friends and family with these easy-to-make kebabs.
Ingredients:
- Beef keema (boiled): 300 grams
- Onion paste: 2 tablespoons
- Ginger, garlic and green chilli paste: 2 tablespoons
- Onion, finely chopped: 1 large
- Green chilli, finely chopped: 2
- Coriander leaves, finely chopped: 2 tablespoons
- Cumin and coriander powder, roasted: 1 tablespoon
- Special masala: 1 tablespoon (recipe given below)
- Potato, boiled and mashed: 1 large
- Eggs: 1 for marination, 1 for coating
- All-purpose flour: 6-7 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Salt
- Ghee and mustard oil: 2:2 ratio
Special masala:
- 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 2 dry whole red chillis, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, ½ cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder dry roasted and turned into a fine powder
Recipe:
- Start by marinating the keema. In a mixing bowl, take the beef keema, onion, ginger, garlic and green chilli paste, onion, coriander, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, sugar, cumin and coriander powder, special masala, boiled potato and egg
- Knead into a smooth dough
- Cover and allow the marinated meat to rest for at least an hour
- Add a pinch of salt to the egg to be used for egg wash and beat well
- Heat ghee and oil in a nonstick pan as you start shaping the kebabs. Don’t forget to apply some ghee on your palms before starting to make the kebabs
- Dip the kebabs in egg and coat in flour
- Place the kebabs on the pan and cook on medium flame for 2-3 minutes. Then, lower the heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot
Bekti kebabs
Bengalis and their maachh are inseparable. So, here’s a melt-in-the-mouth bekti kebab for all fish lovers.
Ingredients:
- Bekti cubes (boneless): 300 grams
- Onion juice: 3 tablespoons
- Ginger and garlic juice: 2 tablespoons
- Black pepper corns, crushed: 1 tablespoon
- Butter cut into small cubes: 50 grams
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
- Salt
- Butter (melted): 4-5 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Marinate the fish cubes with onion paste, ginger and garlic juice, black pepper, salt, sugar and lemon juice. Cover and keep aside for around 30 minutes
- Right before making the kebabs, scoop out a small portion from the centre of the fish cubes. You can also use an injection syringe without needle to make the hole. It is likely to take five to six 6 attempts to make a sizeable pocket
- Heat melted butter in a non-stick frying pan
- Lower the heat, add non-softened butter at the heart of the fish cubes and place them on the pan
- Cover and cook on low to medium flame for 20-15 minutes
- Check if cooked with a toothpick, taste for seasoning and serve hot
Chicken cheese kebabs
Give the regular chicken kebabs a twist with some cheese and have your guests praising you all the way home.
Ingredients:
- Chicken keema: 300 grams
- Cheese slices: 10-12 (one for each kebab)
- Lemongrass: 8-10
- Onion fried till red and crisp: 2 tablespoons
- Ginger and garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
- Onion, finely chopped: 1 large
- Green chilli, finely chopped: 2-3
- Coriander leaves, finely chopped: 2 tablespoons
- Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
- Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1 teaspoon
- Eggs: 2
- All-purpose flour: 3-4 tablespoons
- Salt
- Butter
Recipe:
- In a mixing bowl, take all the ingredients except eggs, cheese slices and butter. Mix well and form a semi-tight dough.
- Cover the mixing bowl and allow the kebab base to rest for 30 minutes.
- Put one cheese strip in the middle for each kebab, add the meaty dough to cover the cheese, and give a longish dimer devil-like shape (pictorial reference shared above) or any shape of your choice
- Use the lemongrass as skewers for the kebabs (check the photo above for an idea)
- In a non-stick pan, add enough butter to saute the kebabs
- Once the butter is heated, egg wash each kebab with a brush or dip in the eggs and place on the pan
- Cover and cook on low flame for 10-12 minutes and then on high flame for 2-3 minutes
- Serve hot with tomato sauce or mayonnaise on the side
