skewers Archives - Sugar et al

As our festival of Durgotsava kicks off from today, I cannot help but feel very nostalgic. Though we do take part in quite a few celebrations that take place around Sydney, it is nothing compared to the ones that happen back home in India.

During this time, the Eastern part of India shuts up shop for 5 continuous days and is in a celebratory mode. Makeshift structures (pandals) are constructed all around the state of West Bengal to house the warrior Goddess Durga and every nook and corner of the state is adorned with beautiful lighting and floral decorations. Mother Durga as she is referred to is an embodiment of feminine power in the Hindu culture and the 5 main days of the festival are celebrated as the time she returns to stay (along with her children) at her father’s place. Therefore married women also look at it as an occasion to reunite with family. The idols that also showcase the unique craftmanship of their creators depict the Mother riding a lion and carrying different weapons in her ten arms as the festival celebrates her victory over the mythological demon Mahishasura. The Durga Puja festival essentially epitomizes the victory of good over evil. Needless to say, food is an integral part of this celebration.

Very few at this time cook at home and prefer to eat either at the community get together or the various food stalls that sell the traditional Indian dishes. Mainly the street food. I have told you earlier how much I love the street food in India. Among the popular food are the chats, chicken rolls, kebabs and Biriyani. Indians love their biriyani and each state has their own way of cooking it. I will post my biriyani recipe one of these days too but today I am sharing a recipe that we generally make during pre or post festival gatherings.

These kebabs are really easy to put together and are just perfect when you are entertaining a big group of people. The mince mixture can be prepared ahead in time and skewered to be grilled when your guests arrive. The last part of the recipe is my own addition. Lamb and cumin are a classic combination and coating the kebabs in roasted cumin powder brings out the flavour like an explosion. The kebabs can be served with a cucumber ribbon salad or a mint chutney. You can eat them on the skewer like an appetizer or wrapped in a flatbread or tortilla for lunch or dinner.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs -Indian lamb Skewers
Serves 6

500g lamb mince
1 medium-sized onion chopped very fine
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (more if mixture does not come together)
1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped mint leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp garam masala powder (available in most supermarkets or Indian stores)
1 tsp cumin powder
2-3 green chillies very finely chopped (optional)
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for cooking

Roasted Cumin Powder
1 tbsp cumin seed

Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using hands or with a wooden spoon mix the ingredients thoroughly till they are well blended. Cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the mixture from fridge and divide into equal portions. Take each portion and form it into a long sausage-like kebab while pressing on to a skewer. Do this till the mix has firmly adhered to the skewer. Put some oil on your hands to prevent meat from sticking to them. Repeat till all the kebab mix is used up.

Heat a chargrill pan or a large frying pan with oil till smoking hot. Brown the kebabs on one side, then flip over and brown on the other side. Take care not to overcook the kebabs or they will lose their juicyness. It generally takes 7-8 minutes to cook them overall.

Remove from the pan and coat the kebabs in the roasted cumin powder. Serve with lime wedges and salad.

To make the roasted Cumin Powder, roast the cumin seeds in a frying pan over heat till fragrant. Process to a powder in a food processor.

Ever since my last act of chocolate indulgence few days ago, I am finding solace in green. I have jumped on the weighing scale every day waiting for the ugly truth to unfold but for once i have to say it has let me down…in a positive way. The last of the little spikey monster has survived the weekend and i am trying my best to avoid eye contact each time i open the refrigerator. The weather has been looking up too, in contrast to the dark wet week that was. And that is also showing on the bright faces at home who love nothing more than the outdoors. All in all, a good week.

Speaking of greens, this is one of my favourite healthy recipes usually following a guilt trip when I am a little tired of eating salad. But actually guilt or no guilt, this is a must try if you wanted to make an easy, no fuss Indian dish. The chicken is moist and packed with herby goodness, not to mention the wonderful aromas that emanate when you are baking it. Tikkas or Kababs, as they are popularly called in India, form a part of every restaurant menu, big or small. My version is a bit more simpler and oil free.

Onions are an integral part of Indian cooking, so leaving it out completely almost makes you want to compensate its absence in a dish. In fact, in many Indian households they take precedence over herbs as garnishes.

The spiced onion jam compliments the flavours of the chicken beautifully. I have married the ingredients and techniques of an onion jam with that of a traditional Indian chutney to create this recipie. And ah..was I pleased with the end result…very pleased indeed!
Most onion jam recipes call for red onions but I have used both red and brown as I personally like the flavour that the brown ones add to the dish.

Serve them as skewers with a salad and a few lemon wedges. Leave out the onion jam if you want to stick to what the post intended to convey…healthy!

Did you say you like pretty plates…like me?

Herbed Chicken Skewers
Yields 5-6 skewers

400 g chicken skinless thigh fillet cubed
11/2 tbsp garlic paste
11/2 tbsp ginger paste
1 cup coriander leaves
1 cup mint leaves
2 green chillies (optional)
1/2 cup thick yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp chaat masala (optional, available in Indian grocery stores)
Salt to taste
5-6 bamboo skewers soaked in water for 30 mins

Prepare the marinade. Grind the ginger, garlic, coriander, mint and green chillies to a smooth paste in a food processor. Pour the mix into a large bowl and add the yogurt. Add the cubed chicken and spices, salt and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours for the flavours to blend together.
Preheat oven to 200 C
Thread the chicken onto skewers. Place the skewers horizontally on the edges of rimmed baking dish with a foil underneath to catch the drippings. (See pic) I had run out of foil so had some extra cleaning to do. Cook the chicken on the grill mode turning once after 10 mins till evenly browned and tender about 20-25 mins. Sprinkle chaat masala when out of the oven.
Serve with spiced onion jam, lemon wedges and salad.

Spiced Onion Jam
Yields about a cup

2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 medium yellow/brown onion thinly sliced
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chillies(optional)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp roasted cumin powder
1 tsp salt or to taste

Melt butter in a pan. Add the mustard, cumin and red chillies and cook till they splutter (about 1 min).Add the onions and cook till they soften(about 5 mins). Add the brown sugar and vinegars and reduce the mixture till it darkens and becomes a thick consistency. Add in the cumin powder. Add salt as per taste.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs- Indian Lamb Skewers

Embracing Green. Indian Herbed Chicken Skewers and Spiced Onion Jam