Rajsahi Fish Tikka

My husband had invited few of his friends for a barbecue at our home. Seattle weather being as it is, turned a bit iffy with possibilities of rain. So I decided to make something indoors incase cooking outside failed. Given the party theme I plated it in a more western style on slices of whole grain bread with fresh cut salad.

Rajsahi is a major city in Bangladesh and I actually doubt if people from there really know about this recipe. Either way it is pretty rajokio or royal in taste.

I make most of these kind of bengali dry fish recipes with locally available rock-fish. If you have the good fortune of access to bhetki, please go with that instead.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. fish fillet cut into medium cubes (Best if you can get bhetki, cod and rock fish work well)
• 1 lemon juice
• 1 tsp. ginger paste
• 1 tsp. green chili paste
• 1 tbsp. garlic paste
• 2 tbsp. thick plain yogurt
• 1 tsp. Bengali Garam Masala powder
• 1/2 tsp. mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
• 2 tbsp. ghee
• Salt to taste
• Few slices of bread for serving

Procedure

Wash fish and pat it dry with a paper towel. Mix everything with fish keeping aside one tbsp. ghee and half of the lime juice.

Now marinate the fish for about an hour.

Pre heat oven at 350F. Grease a baking tray with oil and lay the fish pieces in single layer.

Bake for about five minutes. Take the tray out and strain the liquid released from the fish.

Turn over the fish cubes, brush it with the rest of lemon juice and ghee and bake it again for about ten minutes..

Remove and brush it again with the lemon juice and ghee mixture. Sprinkle a pinch of mustard and black pepper powder over it.

Cut the bread slices into square and place each tikka on top of it to serve.

Chicken Hariyali Kebab

We had a steady stream of guests over the holidays. Especially to cater to the palate of our local friends I chose this mild kebab, which goes really well with wine and beer. I serve this as a starter as Hariyali kebab turns out to be an excellent conversation starter.

Hariyali means green which is the color of the kebab, in this regard this is very different from the other kebabs. The green comes from the paste of cilantro, mint and fenugreek leaves that is used as marinade.

Ingredients

For 4 people. serving size 4 pieces

• 1lb. boneless chicken breast cut into 2” pieces
• 4 tbsp. thick curd
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup cilantro ( Coriander Leaves )
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1/4 cup fenugreek leaves ( Methi )
• 1” ginger
• 5-6 fat cloves of garlic
• 3-4 green chilies
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 tsp. chicken tandoori masala
• 3-4 tbsp. ghee ( Clarified Butter)
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Take chicken pieces and apply salt, lemon juice and red chili powder to it. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.

In the mean time make a smooth paste of cilantro, mint, fenugreek leaves along with ginger, garlic and green chilies.

In a mixing bowl add curd and all other ground spices and mix them with the green paste. Add chicken pieces to it and mix them well with the marinade so that the chicken pieces are well coated with it. Keep it covered for at least two to three hours.

Soak the skewers in plain water for half an hour to avoid burning. Now arrange chicken pieces on the skewer and apply some clarified butter over it.

Pre heat the oven at 400F and grill them for 12-15 minutes. Turn the skewers once when they are half way through for even cooking.

Remove the kebabs from the skewers and arrange them on a serving plate. Serve with some green chutney and lemon wedge.

Chelo Kebab

Updated: With new pictures

In our visit to Kolkata we never miss out on our pilgrimage to Peter Cat on Park Street and have their famous “Original Chelo Kebab”. Peter Cat on their menu refers to this as “the protected regional product of West Bengal”. However, I have successfully conned the border security and customs and got this across the oceans.

Chelow kebab is the national dish of Iran, which is generally served with saffron basmati rice and accompanied with a grilled tomato. In olden days  putting a raw egg yolk on top of the rice was very common which is no longer in practice. So obviously Peter Cat’s claim is a bit dubious :)

The simplicity of the Chelo Kebab is it’s main lure. Peter Cat serves the kebabs on a simple bed of butter rice instead of the saffron rice.

Chicken Kebab

Get the recipe at http://www.bongcook.com/2012/08/chicken-reshmi-kebab.html 

Ingredients for lamb Kebab

1. 200gms minced meat
2. 1 medium onion roughly chopped
3. 1tsp. chopped ginger
4. 1tsp. chopped garlic
5. 2 cloves
6. 2 green cardamoms
7. 1/2” cinnamon stick  
8. 1tsp.black pepper corns
9. 1 egg white
10. 1tsp. chopped cilantro
11. 2 slices of white sandwich bread
12. Salt
13. Oil or butter
14. Skewers

Procedure To make lamb Kebab

In a grinder or food processor take all above ingredients except last two and process them for a few minutes till all the ingredients are well combined and take a look of dough. Transfer them to a bowl.

If you are using bamboo skewers don’t forget to soak it in water for at least 30 minutes, before you start shaping the kebabs. Keep a bowl full of cold water handy to keep your palms wet. Take a ball of the meat mixture in your wet hand and gently wrap it around a skewer. Lightly squeeze it into a long shape. Then pinch the meat into sections using your fingers like scissors.

Brush the kebabs with butter or oil and grill each of them for a few minutes turning frequently. All surfaces of the kebabs should take  dark brown color by the time you finish them cooking.

Ingredients for parsley rice

1. 2 cups cooked white basmati rice
2. 2tsp. butter
3. 1/4th cup chopped parsley
4. 1tsp. pepper powder
5. Salt to taste

Procedure

Melt better in a  non stick pan on medium heat. Add cooked rice to it. Season with salt and pepper powder. Now fry them well till each grain of rice is coated with butter. Add chopped parsley to it and mix them once again before you finish.

Other Ingredients

1. 4 medium tomatoes
2. 4 eggs

Preparation

Tomato – Once you have finished grilling your kebabs, Place the whole or halved tomatoes on the grilling plate. Drizzle few drops of oil and grill them for 10 minutes.

Eggs- Melt butter in a non stick pan and fry the eggs ( Sunny side up ) one by one.

Plating Up

Each serving plate gets a generous serving of rice, a skewer of lamb kebab, chicken kebab and a grilled tomato.The rice is then topped with a fried sunny side up egg. One extra cube of butter on top of the rice will make it sinfully tasty.

Lucknowi Galouti kebab

In Lucknow during the rule of the Nawabs, Galouti kebab used to be made with close to 100 secret ingredients and ground as many times to give it a paste like consistency. The idea was that even a person without teeth could eat it. However, for us mere mortals I have used a more humble list of spices.

Ingredients

For 12 Kebabs.

• 1lb. minced mutton
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1/2” ginger
• 6-8 fat cloves of garlic
• 2-3 green chilies ( You can add more depending on how spicy you want)
• 2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. raw papaya paste
• 2” cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cloves
• 2-3 black cardamom
• 1 tsp. shah jeera ( Caraway seeds)
• 1 tsp. white pepper corn
• 1/4 tsp. crushed nutmeg
• 1 small leaf of mace
• 2 tbsp. roasted chick pea flour
• Salt
• Ghee (Clarified Butter for shallow frying)

For stuffing (Optional)

• 2-3 tbsp. chopped cashew and raisins
• 2 tbsp. thick yogurt

Procedure

In a frying pan take oil and fry onion slices till they turn golden brown. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.

In a grinder grind mutton along with fried onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. The paste would be fine and sticky.

Transfer the paste into a mixing bowl.

Dry roast cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, shah jeera, pepper corn, nutmeg and mace till you get a nice aroma. Be careful not to char them.Now make a fine powder of all these dry roasted spices.

Add these ground spice powder to the meat mixture. Add papaya paste to it and mix them well. Let this mixture rest for 5-6 hours, preferably overnight.

Take out the mixture at least an hour before you make the kebabs. Sprinkle salt and chopped cilantro and mix once again. If the mixture is too sticky to handle sprinkle roasted chick pea flour little at a time.

In a small bowl mix chopped dry fruits with 2 tbsp. of thick yogurt. Take a hand full of meat mixture and make a bowl out of it. Carefully put half a tea spoon of dry fruit mixture and cover it up. Give it a round shape and flatten it slightly by using your palm.

Take a skillet and add 1 tbsp. of ghee. Heat till the ghee starts melting. Reduce the heat to its lowest and gently place the kebabs on the skillet.

Fry one side on low heat till lightly charred. Now flip it over carefully and let the other side cook. Some times I fry them covered for 2-3 minutes to ensure that the meat is fully cooked.

Serve them with mint chutney, the kebab will melt in your mouth….

Murgh / chicken Malai Tikka

Murgh Malai Tikka is a melt in the mouth starter which you will find in every tikka and kebab corners in India. It is different from other kebabs in its color and texture. The other specialty being that it is flavored with cardamom powder and is marinated with cheese and cream, making it soft and silky.

Ingredients

First Marinade

• 1lb. chicken breasts cut into medium sizes cubes
• 1tsp. white pepper powder
• 1/2tsp. cardamom powder
• 1/2tsp. meat tenderizer (optional).
  This is required to make the kebabs really melt in your mouth

Clean the chicken pieces and pat them dry. In a bowl take all the dry ingredients listed above and rub it on the meat pieces so that they are all coated with it. Let it stand for 30 minutes.

Second Marinade

• 2tbsp. thick yogurt
• 2tbsp. heavy cream
• 4tbsp.  grated cheese at room temperature (Cheddar or mozzarella works fine)
• 2tbsp. corn starch
• 1tbsp. ginger garlic paste (Squeeze out the extra water from the paste)
• 2tsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 – 2 green chilies 
• 2tbsp. butter
• Salt

Optional

• Green Bell pepper cut into cubes
• Red onion cut into cubes
  

Procedure

Roughly crush cilantro and green chilies in a grinder.

In a bowl take the softened cheese, ginger garlic paste, corn starch, yogurt, heavy cream and salt. Cheese already has salt so do not add much. Blend them well into a smooth paste with your hand. Add crushed cilantro and green chilies and mix once again.

After initial 30 minutes dip the chicken pieces into the second marinade. Make sure they are all well coated. Allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 3 – 4hrs.

Soak skewers in cold water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning.

Skewer them alternatively with onion and green bell peppers and grill it in an oven at its highest temperature for about 20 minutes. Don’t forget to brush with butter and turn them around every 10 minutes. If your oven has the BROIL option keep the knob at it.

You can make it in your microwave using the micro grill combination mode. Don’t forget to brush oil in between.

Sprinkle chat masala and squirt some lemon juice over before you serve.

Fish Tikka with Rock-Fish

The latest result for my quest for finding local replacements for Indian food ingredients is rock-fish. I have been using rock-fish instead of bhetki with good success. Fish tikka with rock-fish worked really well. As my daughter puts it “rock fish really rocks”.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. fish fillets cut into 2” by 2” squares (fish like bhetki,rock-fish or cod)
• 1 medium sized red onions cut into big cubes 
• 1 tsp. garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp. ginger paste
• 3tbsp. thick plain yogurt
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp. chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp. chicken tandoori masala or garam masala
• 2 tbsp. besan (Chickpea flour)
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• Mustard oil
• 1 tsp. ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Salt to taste

Procedure

Marinate the fish with lime juice and salt for 15 minutes and then wash them thoroughly. Pat them dry.

Dry roast besan on low heat till the raw smell goes away. Be careful to not burn it.

In a bowl take yogurt and one by one add ginger garlic paste, dry roasted besan, tandoori masala, chopped cilantro, salt and sugar. Beat it with a hand blender till it is free of any lumps.

Now heat 1tbsp. mustard oil in a pan and add Kashmiri red chili powder to it. Immediately turn off the heat. Stir with a spoon till it releases its color in the oil.

Add this chili oil to the fish along with yogurt mixture. Keep it marinated for 2 – 3 hrs. This chili oil will give the tikka a nice color.

Skewer the fish cubes alternately with the onions and brush it with ghee. You can either grill it on micro grill combination mode in your microwave for 15 minutes or you can use your stove top skillet to grill it. It will take around 5 – 10 minutes on stove top. Once done you can increase the heat to give them a charred effect.

Sprinkle some chat masala and serve with green chutney. 

Happy Diwali with Spicy Chicken Kebab Sliders

In our childhood in Kolkata the day before Diwali was celebrated as Kali Puja. We would light up the house with diya and then burst noisy fireworks (pataka). This was rooted in the traditional custom of bursting crackers to scare off evil demons. After couple of hours of doing it we’d be ready for the dinner, which used to be a special affair. Now in Kolkata sound pollution control has resulted in the ban of sounds-crackers, but thankfully the special dinner remains.

Here in the US our plans is to head to the local temple which organizes spectacular fireworks and then come home to have some easy to fry chicken kebab.

Ingredients

1. 250gms. chicken paste
2. 2 heaped tbsp. of plain yogurt 
3. 2tbsp. finely chopped ginger
4. 2tbsp. finely chopped garlic
5. 1 medium onion finely chopped
6. 2 tbsp. chopped green chilies
7. 1 tbsp. chopped coriander greens (cilantro)
8. 1tsp. chopped mint leaves ( I have used crushed dried mint leaves )
9. 1tsp. turmeric powder
10. 1tsp. chicken tandoori masala
11. 1 tsp. bengali garam masala
12. 1tsp. bhaaja masala. Dry roast and grind to a powder the following
1. 1tbsp. whole cumin seeds
2. 1 tbsp.coriander seeds
3. 4 dry red chilly
13. 1 egg beaten
14. 3-4 tbsp. chickpea flour (Besan)
15. 1tbsp. sugar
16. Salt to taste
17. 2-3tbsp. clarified butter (Ghee)

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl take the chicken paste and one by one add all the ingredients other than ghee. Pound everything together with your hand and mix them really well.

Now take lime sized portions from the chicken mixture and flatten them between your palms to give a shape.

Grease a non stick tawa with ghee and arrange the kabab patty on it. Shallow fry both the sides on low heat till  the meat is cooked enough. Once done increase the heat and let the kababs turn golden brown on each sides.

Serve with green chutney or ketchup.

Chicken Tikka

Chicken tikka is one of the most famous of the Indian kebabs. Tikka means bits, pieces or small chunks. It is made out of boneless chicken breast pieces. The grilled marinated chicken pieces has an intoxicating taste and a lovely smoky flavor.

Summer in Seattle is gorgeous and we do not waste any chance to enjoy it to the fullest. When we first moved to these Northern latitudes my daughter was plenty confused when she was asked to eat dinner with sun shinning brightly in the sky. We had a hard time convincing her, as she still hadn’t learned to read the clock and vigorously indicating that the hour hand is past eight didn’t help. Now she makes us head to the nearest park for dinner and we happily agree. Nothing like firing up charcoal in the park grills and making some awesome kebabs.

These kebabs turn out great on gas grills or electrical oven as well, however, the smoky taste is stronger when made on charcoal.

In restaurants you’d find the bright orange kebabs which is made using food coloring. I avoid such additives, if you want you can add food coloring to the marinade.

Ingredients For First Marinade

1. 1lb.boneless chicken cubes from breast
2. 1tsp. ginger paste
3. 1tsp. garlic paste
4. 1tsp. kashmiri chili powder (paprika powder)
5. 1tsp. lime juice
6. Salt

In a mixing bowl take all the ingredients and mix well so the chicken pieces are nicely coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Ingredients for second marinade

1. 2tbsp. besan (Bengal gram flour, available in US on amazon as well)
2. 1tsp. carom seed (optional)
3. 2tbsp. thick curd (Yogurt)
4. 1tsp. ginger garlic paste
5. 1tsp. Kashmiri chili powder (Paprika powder)
6. 2+1tbsp. mustard oil
7. Ghee (Clarified butter For basting)
8. Salt

Heat 1tbsp. oil in a pan  and temper it with carom seed. Add Bengal gram flour to it. Fry on medium heat till you get a nutty aroma. Remove and keep aside.

In a separate bowl whisk yogurt with the fried Besan and other ingredients. Give a taste check and adjust salt accordingly.

Add 2tbsp. of mustard oil to the marinade and mix. Now add the chicken cubes to this yogurt mixture and marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours. Overnight marination in the refrigerator works best.

For Grilling

1. Skewers (metal or bamboo)
2. Onions cut into squares
3. Ghee (clarified butter) for basting
4. If you have access to, use oil sprays like PAM Oil Spray (optional)

If you are using bamboo skewers soak them in water for 30 minutes. It will prevent them from catching fire in the grill.

Preheat the oven at 375F, for gas grills or covered charcoal grills turn up the heat and close the lid so that temperature reaches this. For open charcoal grills use your own judgment.

Now skewer the marinated chicken pieces and onions alternately. Spread them for uniform cooking.

For Electric Oven (or combination microwave): Grease a roasting tray and place the skewers on it. Drizzle ghee, or spray oil over the kebabs and grill for 10 minutes and then turn them over. Spray or drizzle some more oil or ghee and roast for another 10 minutes.

For Gas or Charcoal Grill: Place the skewers on the grill, drizzle with ghee. Frequently turn it over and if you have, use the oil spray frequently ensuring that the kebabs do not dry up. Repeat for around 15mins

You can serve them directly on the skewers with some mint chutney and salad.

Chicken Lasuni (Garlic) Kebab

Since my childhood I had always been a part of a small family. So I have a hard time if I have to cook for many people. Especially if that cooking needs sautéing as I don’t have the strength to toss around a lot of stuff.

When I have a bunch of people coming over or when joining a pot-luck, I tend to pick recipes which are easier on my wrist. If you have some time to plan ahead, lasuni kebab makes an excellent choice. It goes great as a starter or as an accompaniment with white wine. It just needs marination overnight and some baking/grilling before your party.

Ingredients

1. 1 lb. (500gm) chicken legs and thigh pieces on bone
2. 2 tbsp. hung curd / plain thick yogurt
3. 2 tbsp. heavy cream
4. 1 tbsp. black pepper powder
5. 2 tbsp. garlic paste
6. 1 tbsp. green chili paste
7. 1 tbsp. butter
8. Salt to taste
9. Sugar

Procedure

Preheat oven at 450F.

In a mixing bowl stir together yogurt, cream, chili, garlic paste and season with salt, a pinch of sugar and pepper powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning according to your liking.

Marinate chicken pieces in the mixture you made above and let it rest overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush with butter. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan and bake it for about 30 minutes turning once in between or until the juices run clear when the chicken piece is pierced by a knife near the bone.

Serve with slices of onions and cucumber.

Shammi Kebab with Mint Chutney (Minced meat and chana dal Patty)

This extremely popular kebab of Awadh, probably got its name from the word Sham which means evening in Hindi. So essentially it’s an evening snack. This goes amazingly well with some great single malt whiskey (this is inserted courtesy Mr.Bong).

Made from minced meat and chana dal these kebabs are round patties enriched with the flavor of garam masala, fresh mint and coriander leaves. Contrary to most other kebabs which are grilled, this is fried and hence easier to make.

Ingredients

1. For Boiling
   1. 200 gm. minced meat
   2. 50 gm. Bengal gram / chana dal soaked
   3. 1 tbsp. whole coriander
   4. 1 tbsp. black peppercorn
   5. 1 tbsp. white peppercorn
   6. 1 small onion chopped
   7. 5,6 cloves of garlic
   8. 1/2" ginger
   9. Salt to taste
2. For Grinding
   1. 2 tsp. garam masala powder (make your own as shown here)
   2. 2,3 green chilies
   3. Half cup chopped coriander leaves/cilantro
   4. Half cup chopped mint leaves
3. For Frying
   1. 1 egg beaten
   2. Ghee/clarified butter

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan and fry chopped onion till they are light pink. Now add all ingredients listed under Boiling along with half a cup of water and cook on medium heat till all the water evaporates. Let it cool.

Add garam masala powder, chopped coriander and mint leaves and mix it well. 

Add the mixture into a grinder or food processor and grind into a fine paste. This paste should be little moist.

To make kebabs moisten your palms with little water and take about 2 tbsp ground meat mixture in your hand. Form a ball then slightly flatten it.

Heat ghee in a pan. Dip each patty/ kebab into the beaten egg and place into the ghee to shallow fry. Fry till both the sides are golden brown. Remove on paper towels to drain. Serve with green chutney.

Recipe For Green Chutney

1. 1 bunch mint leaves
2. 1 bunch coriander leaves/ cilantro
3. 5,6 cloves of garlic
4. 2,3 green chilies
5. Juice of one lime
6. 3,4 tbsp of plain curd/ yogurt

Grind all ingredients together into a food processor or grinder adding little water to make a thick sauce like consistency.