Shikampur Kebabs – Minced mutton-based lentil patty

Hyderabad (capital of Andhra Pradesh) and Lucknow (capital of Uttar Pradesh) are the two cities in India where the “kebab” evolved. When and Who introduced the ‘kebab’ to India is another story which requires a separate post by itself..so let me reserve that for later.

Lucknow is famous for its kebabs and you will find the great great grandsons of bawarchis(Chefs) to the Nawabs(Kings) carry on the culinary tradition of their forefathers in their dhabas till today. Lucknow’s richly flavoured Avadh cuisine is specially known for the quality and quantity of spices used in cooking meat dishes.Murg tikka,fish tikka,paneer kebab,seekh kebab,kacche keeme ki kebab,kalmi kebab and tangiri kebab to name a few, are the famous Lucknowi mouthwatering array of specialities.

Hyderabad,our capital city,is the home of the Muslim Nawabs(rulers) and is famous for it’s Dum Biriyani,simply irresistable grilled kebabs, kurmas and the famous Shikampur Kebab (mutton mince cooked with cumin,cloves and cinnamon and bengal gram lentil and stuffed with cottage cheese,mint,onions and green chillies) and gently grilled on a griddle or tawa with pure ghee.Shikampur means ‘belly-full’ referring to the stuffing in the centre of the kebab.The famous Shammi Kebab of Lucknow is same as Shikampur Kebab without the stuffing.

Ingredients:

500 gms kheema (minced meat)
1/4 cup of Bengal gram lentil(soaked in water for 1/2 hr)
10 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
5 pods green cardamom
2 sticks cinnamon
5 cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd
2 tbsp oil/ghee(clarified butter)
1 1/2 cup water
Mix all the above ingredients and bring to a boil and then bring to medium heat for 2 mts before reducing to low heat until all the water evaporates and the meat and dal is cooked.Stir occassionally to prevent burning.
Then add salt and blend in a mixie and knead it like a dough.Shape into round pattis.

For filling:

3 tbsp finely chopped onions
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tbsp grated yogurt cheese
4 deseeded and chopped green chillis
salt
Mix all the ingredients for the filling.

Flatten the pattis and put a tbsp of the filling in the center and reshape into a patti.Refridgerate for 20-25 mts.

Pre-heat a griddle adding 2 tbsps of oil/ghee and shallow fry 3 kebabs at a time.Let them cook on low heat to medium heat.Flip over and brown both sides till golden brown.
Serve with salad,onion rings and lemon wedges.

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Charcoal Grilled Pomfret (With Traditional Indian Earthen Stove)

With summer here, its barbeque time..:). I bought a new traditional earthern cooking stove a couple of days ago, called “Kumpati” in Telugu, where charcoal and firewood is used as a medium to cook food and is a popular stove with our rural folks. Kumpati, to us, serves as our “charcoal barbaque” and used often during summers to prepare chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and paneer tikkas. Its not like a typical tandoor but can be used as one and does serve the purpose of a tandoor to a certain extent. Kumpati basically uses “charcoal” as a cooking medium and the intense heat created by the hot coal cooks the food or meat very quickly giving it a crisp exterior and a soft and juicy interior and serves as a homestyle tandoor.

This cooking stove made of clay, has a hole in the front to feed the fire and holes on the top which act as burners. We can cook food directly over the coal embers or place a cooking vessel or pan over the hot coals to cook the food. Since its made of clay it holds in the heat and the food is cooked quickly. This morning when we went for our walk along the beach road, we found some fishermen hauling their nets with a fresh catch of fish. We bought some fresh white pomfrets and I cleaned and marinated them in the morning keeping in mind that we could have a barbaque dinner later in the evening. Satish is a very willing and enthusiastic helper especially with barbaques. He helped light up the coals and got the “kumpati” ready to cook the fish in a jiffy..:)

Charcoal Grilled Pomfret Recipe
Ingredients:
4 big white pomfrets (chanduva or mackarel)
juice of one lemon
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
big pinch turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1 tsp coriander pwd
1/2 tsp cumin pwd
salt to taste

Wash, clean and dry the fish. Make slits on the fish and marinate it in salt and lime juice for 10 minutes.Meanwhile mix together ginger-garlic paste, turmeric pwd, chilli pwd, coriander pwd and cumin pwd and apply this paste to each of the fish and keep aside for atleast 2-3 hours. You can adjust the spiceness of the marinade according to your choice. I marinated the fish for around 10 hours and refrigerated it. Remember fish or meat marinated over a longer period tastes best as it absorbs the flavors well.

Half an hour before you actually want to eat your dinner, get your kumpati (stove) up and ready by lighting up the charcoal and you should have red hot burning embers of coal like shown in the picture.

Grease a grill or hot plate with big holes (like the one shown in the picture) and place the marinated fish (brush oil over the fish before placing it on the hot plate) over it and place the hot plate over the kumpati or hot stove.

Let it cook for 3-4 minutes and then turn the fish on the other side and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes or till golden brown. The real secret to grilling these pomfrets is to not overcook them. Watch closely as you cook the fish …grill hot and fast and take it off the heat as soon as you can.

You have a perfectly cooked moist fish with a mellow smoky flavor ready to be devoured. Serve hot with slices of lemon wedges, salad and chutney.

Note:T his fish tastes best when cooked in a tandoor or on a charcoal barbecue or kumpati. However if these methods of cooking aren’t available then use a grill or bake in the oven.

The spices used in the marination for cooking the pomfret differs region wise and the marinade for this particular fish is one which is popular in our home. I use different marinades using yogurt, garam masala and other spices each time I cook fish.

Grilling/roasting over charcoal heat or tandoori cooking calls for very little fat or oil and the smoky flavor enhances the taste of the food cooked. So if you want to cook some low calorie foods, investing in a grill or home tandoor does make sense. So all you weight watchers out there, here’s a very simple, low calorie, healthy, flavorful seafood Indian appetizer (cooked with minimal fat) that you will find hard to resist..:).

Some of the other seafood recipes I blogged earlier are Andhra Chepa Pulusu (Fish cooked in tangy gravy),Chepa Vepudu (Fish Fry), Spiced Fish Fillets and Royyalu Iguru (Prawns Curry) and Royyalu Mungakaaya Kura (Prawn curry cooked with Drumsticks).

Charcoal Grilled Pomfret (With Traditional Indian Earthen Stove) Recipe

Prep time: min

Cook time: min

Main Ingredients:

With summer here, its barbeque time..:). I bought a new traditional earthern cooking stove a couple of days ago, called “Kumpati” in Telugu, where charcoal and firewood is used as a medium to cook food and is a popular stove with our rural folks. Kumpati, to us, serves as our “charcoal barbaque” and used often […]

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Paneer Fajitas

Today, I made a Mexican inspired appetizer, Paneer fajita (fah-he-tah) which is very simple and tasty – just marinate, grill and eat! With the onset of summer, these fajitas make a great appetizer for barbecues or an evening tiffin for our kids, a great way to get them eat vegetables and remember, its a healthy snack. The best part of fajitas is they can be made with practically anything, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. I love that!-:)

The traditional method of preparing the fajitas is by grilling them, but they can also be pan fried and if using meat, oven broiling works (meat requires more marinating time than vegs and paneer). Its the marinade which holds the key to a good fajita. Vinegar or lemon juice is a must to lend a sour flavor. As told by a chef friend who used to work at a multi cuisine food joint – “experiment with anything which has a sour flavor like orange juice or even a coke”. Well, I haven’t got that creative yet.:).

I’d love to learn more about marinades for fajitas if you’d like to share. Tried and tested recipes of fajitas (veg/non-veg) are also welcome..:).

Paneer Fajitas Recipe

Prep & Cooking: 15 mts, marinate time: 30 mts

Makes approx 15-20 fajitas

Cuisine: Mexican inspired

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Ingredients:

1/4 kg paneer, squares

juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp olive oil

salt to taste

2 tbsps red chilli flakes

1 tsp mustard pwd

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

pinch of cumin pwd

2 tbsps sesame seeds

1/2 tsp dried parsley

For salad:

1 onion, finely sliced

1 capsicum, finely sliced

1 tomato, finely sliced

fistful boiled green peas

fistful boiled sweet corn

a small cup of finely sliced cabbage

fresh parsley for garnish

salt to taste

pepper to season

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

1 Marinate the paneer squares with lemon juice, olive oil, worchestshire sauce, cumin pwd, mustard pwd and dry parsley and salt for 30 mts.

2 Combine sesame seeds and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Coat both the sides of the paneer in this and place them on a greased baking tray or a grill.
3 Grill the paneer in a pre-heated oven for 10 mts, till the paneer attains a light brown shade.
4 Saute the vegetables for salad, season with salt, arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle some parsley on top and place the grilled paneer fajitas on the salad. Serve hot with salsa.

I, in turn, learnt it from one of her student, Alka.

Paneer Fajitas Recipe

Prep time: min

Cook time: min

Main Ingredients:

Today, I made a Mexican inspired appetizer, Paneer fajita (fah-he-tah) which is very simple and tasty – just marinate, grill and eat! With the onset of summer, these fajitas make a great appetizer for barbecues or an evening tiffin for our kids, a great way to get them eat vegetables and remember, its a healthy […]

Read More