HEALTHY GRILLED VEG SEEKH KEBAB

An Indian party’s snack platter is incomplete without this delicious appetizer dish of seekh kabab. Succulant kebabs are always made with minced meat, marinated in variety of spices and grilled on a tandoor/ oven and served with green chutney. But here I am sharing a vegetarian recipe of seekh kebab which is not only a healthy version but easy and quick recipe. You can use any other dal like chana or moong dal for making these kebabs. I have already shared one seekh kebeb recipe with chicken on my blog and so thought of sharing a veg alternative recipe of the same. Full of flavour, these kebab recipe is perfect option as a starter for any dinner party. Served with green spicy chutney, few onion rings and a lemon wedge, you won’t need anything else to kick start the party. 

INGREDIENTD:

½ Cup Akkha Masoor

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

4-5 Garlic Cloves

1” Ginger piece

½ Capsicum, chopped very fine

1-2 Green Chillies

2-3 tablespoon Bread Crumbs [as required]

½ teaspoon Amchur Powder

½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder [adjust according to your taste]

½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

¼ teaspoon Cardamom Powder

Salt as required

2-3 tablespoon Oil

½ Cup grated Paneer

2 tablespoon Cornflour [see notes]

½ tablespoon Lemon Juice

METHOD:

STEP 1 – Wash masoor dal with tap water. Soak for about 4-5 hours.

STEP 2 – Drain water completely by putting dal on a colander.

STEP 3 – Now add soaked masoor dal, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic with 2-3 tablespoon water in a mixer jar. Blend it to fine paste.

STEP 4 – Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Transfer the masoor mixture in it and cook it by stirring continuously.

STEP 5 – Roast it for about 4-5 minutes until it get thickened and form a dough like consistency.

STEP 6 – Switch off the heat and transfer the masoor mixture in a plate/ bowl and let it cool to room temperature.

STEP 7 – Now add very finely chopped onion, capsicum, green chillies and all spice powders in masoor mixture and give a nice mix. For binding add bread crumbs and mix very well.

STEP 8 – Soak your wooden skewers in water for half an hour. If using metal ones then no need to soak them in water.

STEP 9 - Grease your hands with oil[see notes],

take a little ball of masoor mixture dough and roll into cylinders about 6 inch long and ¾ inch wide and tread onto a skewers stick. Press it lightly, so it is smooth and evenly spread on the skewers. Keep it aside.

STEP 10 – Repeat the same procedure and make all the skewers ready.

STEP 11 – Heat a pan/ grill pan with little oil/ ghee.

STEP 12 - Place the kebab over it and cook till golden on all sides on medium high heat, keep rotating them after every 4-5 minutes and brushing with oil all over it.

STEP 13 - Do not flip them until they are cooked, else it will stick to the pan. Grill until done or for about 15-20 minutes.

STEP 14 – When kebabs are golden, increase the flame to maximum and grill for few minutes on high. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Serve hot veg kebab with lemon slices and onion rings.   

NOTES: *Here I used arrowroot powder instead of cornflour. You can also use roasted besan flour.

                    *You can grease your hands with oil or wet your hands in water.

ROADSIDE SWEET CHUTNEY FOR CHAAT

Can you imagine a chaat without sweet chutney as it adds its unique sweet and sour taste and make it flavourful.  I love sweet chutney which is served with all chaat dishes. Earlier I have shared one recipe of this sweet chutney with dates and tamarind. But today this is different recipe which is very quick and tastes amazing. It will be runny and honey like consistency. This is very easy, simple and delicious chutney recipe exactly tastes like the roadside vendors serve along with chaat. You can make this chutney in bulk and store in deep freezer for months. Make this homemade street style meethi chutney and enjoy with snacks anytime at your place.   

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Sugar

1/3 Cup Dry Mango Powder/ Amchur Powder

1 tablespoon Roasted Cumin Powder

1 teaspoon Chaat Masala

1 teaspoon Black Salt

¼ teaspoon Regular Salt

½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Degi/ Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

¾ Cup Water

METHOD:

STEP 1 – In a sauce pan, add sugar, cumin powder, dry mango powder, red chilli powder, black salt, chaat masala, regular salt, degi mirch powder, garam masala and water.

STEP 2 – Give it a nice mix. Now put it on gas stove

and cook for 5 minutes or until it get thickened. Stir it continuously while cooking.

STEP 3 – when you see bubbles on the top, stop the flame.

Chutney is ready.

CHOLE-SAMOSA CHAAT

When hot steaming Chole and freshly prepared Samosas get together, they create a food riot with most Indian's. Within no time you have people gobbling up the first round and getting ready to devour their second and may be third also. Individually, both are mt favourites, chole doing well with puri/ bhature and stuff like that, the samosas eaten just like that to some tangy chutney to go with it.But chole samosa chaat, a once popular Delhi street food item and now also enjoyed in different parts of India, if had at home and enjoying every mouthful, would make it a lip-smacking item that would have the taste lingering much after it is consumed. It basically consists of a crushed crunchy potato stuffed samosa that is then topped with chole/ chana, yogurt, sweet and tangy chutneys and some fine sev. Each bite of this delicious snack is a burst of incredible flavours.

INGREDIENTS:

For Samosa Filling :

1 tablespoon Oil

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

3 Boiled Potatoes, peeled and mashed

½ Cup Green Peas

Salt to taste

½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

2 tablespoon Coriander, chopped

½ tablespoon Lemon Juice

4-5 Green Chillies, chopped finely

For Cover Dough:

2 Cups Maida

2 tablespoon Ghee

1 teaspoon Ajwain/ Carom Seeds

Salt to taste

Water for kneading the dough

For Making Chhole:

1- 1 ½  Cup Chickpeas  [soaked overnight and pressure cooked]

2 Large Onion, chopped finely

3-4 Tomatoes, pureed

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon Oil

1 Inch Cinnamon Stick

4-5 Cloves

2-3 Green Cardamoms

1 Bay Leaf

 ½ teaspoon Shahi Jeera

1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds

3-4 Dry Red Kashmiri Chillies [adjust according to palate]

½ teaspoon Peppercorns

1 tablespoon Kasoori Methi

½ teaspoon Garam Masala

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

½ teaspoon Aamchur Powder

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Other Ingredients:

Oil for frying

4 tablespoon Sweet Dates-Tamarind Chutney

4 tablespoon Spicy Green Chutney

2 teaspoon Garlic Chutney

Finely chopped Onion

Fine Sev

Chopped Coriander

METHOD:

For Making Chhole / Chickpea Curry: [recipe with pictures already there on my blog]

STEP 1 – Soak chick peas for 7-8 hours or overnight. Pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles or until the chick peas are cooked through. Release the pressure.

STEP 2 – Drain the water from the chick peas and reserve it for the gravy.

STEP 3 – Now dry roast the whole spices on low flame till you feel a nice smell. Cool them and then transfer them to a mixer pot and make a fine powder with them. Keep the powder aside.

STEP 4 – Heat a pan, add oil in it and when it get heated add half of the chopped onion in it. Saute it well on medium flame till golden brown in colour. Add ginger-garlic paste in it and cook well for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 5 – Now transfer it to a blender jar along with the powdered masala from “STEP 3”

and grind it to a fine paste with ¼ cup water. Keep it aside.

STEP 6 – Heat pan with oil, add remaining half of the chopped onion and sauté well and cook till it turns nice golden in colour. Here you can add a pinch of salt and sugar in the onion. Salt helps to speed up the cooking and sugar helps to caramelize the onion  quickly.  

STEP 7 – Next add the ground spice powder-onion paste in it and mix it well and cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes.

Stir it continuously until the paste becomes little dry and oil starts to separate on the edges.

STEP 8 – Add tomato puree in it and mix well. Take care as the puree splutter while cooking. Stir in the mixture well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

TEP 9 – Add turmeric powder and salt to taste and add about 2-3 cups of water in it. Mix well and cover it and cook for 4-5 minutes. Stir in between and let the gravy come to a gentle boil.

STEP 10 – Add cooked chickpeas in it, add aamchur powder and mix well.

If you find the gravy is too thick, add more water in it.

Cook the curry further to get the right consistency as per your liking. Let it simmer for 6-7 minutes on low flame for all the flavours to blend harmoniously.

For Making Dough:

STEP 1 – In a bowl, add maida, salt and ajwain and mix it well.

STEP 2 – Now add ghee, crumble and mix the flour. Mix well making sure the dough holds shape.

STEP 3 – Add water gradually and start kneading the dough. Knead a tight dough adding water as required.

STEP 4 – Cover the dough with damp cloth and keep to rest for 20-25 minutes.

For Making Filling:

STEP 1 – Heat oil in a pan, crackle cumin seeds.

STEP 2 – Then add boiled, peeled and mashed potatoes in to it.

STEP 3 – Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes.

STEP 4 – Add green peas and mix. Cook for another 2 minutes.

STEP 5 – Add freshly chopped coriander and mix it well.

STEP 6 – Drizzle lemon juice and mix. Stuffing is ready. Allow to cool completely.

Shaping and Stuffing Samosa:

STEP 1 – After 20 minutes, knead the dough slightly again.

STEP 2 - Divide the dough in equal size small balls.

STEP 3 – Grease the rolling board with little oil, take one dough portion,

roll the dough into circle shape. You can roll it oval shape too.

STEP 4 – Now cut it horizontally, divide into 2 equal portions using a knife.

STEP 5 – Apply some water at the edges

and make a cone as shown in picture below. Gently press the edges so that it seal properly.

STEP 6 – Stuff 2 tablespoon prepared samosa filling into the cone.

Now close and seal the edges tightly by pressing firmly.

Repeat the same procedure and make all the samosas.

You can freeze at this stage in an airtight container for 2 months.     

STEP 7 – Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. 

STEP 8 – Drop samosa carefully in oil. 

Put the flame low and deep fry samosa for at least 10 minutes.

STEP 9 – Once the samosa turns golden and crisp, drain off over the kitchen towel/ tissue paper.

Assembling Samosa Chaat:

STEP 1 – Take a serving plate, take one samosa, roughly break/ smash samosa into small pieces.

STEP 2 – Put a ladleful of prepared chole evenly over it.

STEP 3 – Now pour 1 tablespoon sweet dates-tamarind chutney, 1 tablespoon spicy green chutney and 1 teaspoon garlic chutney.   

STEP 4 – Top with 1-2 tablespoon chopped Onions, chopped coriander and 1 tablespoon Sev evenly over it. Sprinkle some chaat masala and drizzle with some lemon juice.
STEP 5 – Repeat the same procedure and prepare remaining servings of samosa chaat. Serve it immediately after making a plate.

FISH FRY

Fish Fry or Masala fish is a mouth-watering and very tempting fried fish recipe made using fresh fish pieces coming out straight from fresh waters. The best fish fry recipe where we need to marinate the coated masala fish pieces and then shallow fry them until they turn soft and crisp. Here I used rohu fish but you can use any type of fish like white pomfret or mackerel to prepare the fish fry.  This is rohu fish fry recipe though simple is sure to hit your taste buds. There are other methods to fry fish too. Rava fried fish is the most common fish recipe that you will find in every Goans house. Try out this easy peasy fish fry which get ready quickly and tastes heavenly.

INGREDIENTS:

5-7 Fish pieces

For Marination:

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 Lemon Juice

1 teaspoon Salt

Other Ingredients:

3 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

1 teaspoon roasted Cumin Powder

½ teaspoon Black Pepper Powder

1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon Garam Masala

Salt as needed

1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste

2-3 teaspoon Water

3 tablespoon oil for shallow frying

2-3 tablespoon Rava/ Semolina for coating the fish

For garnishing and serving:

2-3 Lemon Wedges

Freshly chopped Coriander

Few Onion slices

 METHOD:

Marinate The Fish:

STEP 1 – Wash and clean the fish pieces under running tap water.

STEP 2 – Apply turmeric powder and salt to the fish pieces and rest it for few minutes. Approximately 5-10 minutes.

How to proceed:

STEP 1 – After 10 minutes, if there is still any unwanted smell, then apply lemon juice on it and keep for more 2-3 minutes.

STEP 2 – Wash the fish under tap water and keep them aside.

STEP 3 – In a mixing bowl, add all the spice powders and mix well.

Add 2-3 teaspoon water. Don’t make it too watery. Make a thick paste.

STEP 4 – Apply the spice mixture on fish pieces and coat well with the masala mixture.

STEP 5 – Spread rava in a plate and keep ready on your kitchen counter.

STEP 6 – Coat fish evenly using rava. Keep it aside for 20-25 minutes.

STEP 7 – Heat 2-3 tablespoon oil in a wide fry pan.

Slide 2-3 fish pieces in it and shallow fry them on medium flame.

Don’t over crowd the pan.

STEP 8 – Cook them for 4-5 minutes and then carefully flip and cook from the other side. Each side should be shallow fried which makes the cover crispy.

STEP 9 – Take out the fish, drain excess oil on a kitchen towel, similarly shallow fry the rest of the fish and serve hot.

Sprinkle some lemon juice while serving and serve with onion rings.