Monthly Mingle #2: Big on Barbecue - Moong dal kebabs

This is another of Tarla Dalal's recipes that I had printed off at least two years back, when I was a member of her website. I have a bad habit of printing off all sorts of recipes on the off chance that I might actually make them one day. For the same sort of reason, I buy unknown spices, odd ingredients and unfamiliar utensils in the eventuality that some day, for whatever reason, I might need any or all of those. And what would I do if I didnt have the required items? Well, the answer is, of course, that I'd improvise... but I still like my larder/cupboards to be like a mini-supermarket where I can always get what I want!

Moong dal kebabs sounded like a good idea at the time, but I never did get around to making them. But then I thought it would be fun to contribute to Meeta's Monthly Mingle #2: Big on Barbecue event. So I took down my cookbooks from India and sifted through the sheaves of printed recipes that were shoved in between the pages... and finally found the one for moong dal kebabs. The paper was actually a bit brittle and yellowing around the edges - a sign of age or incompetent housekeeping. A bit of both, I guess. :)

The kebabs turned out okay... not anything soectacular. There was no point of reference for comparision, really, as I've never made or had anything like it before. I added some bread crumbs to the dough as otherwise it would have been too wet to form kebab shapes.

Tarla Dalal's instructions were to cut the cooked "kebabs" into pieces after they'd been grilled/barbecued - but my kebabs werent up to that sort of treatment. They stayed fairly soft in the middle and did not take kindly to being messed with. Cooked moong dal has a stronger flavour than other dals (I feel), and to my tastebuds, it overwhelmed the other ingredients. I might try making this again with some other dal that has a little less personality!

Anyway, here it is - my nearly last-minute entry for Meeta's Monthly Mingle #2: Big on Barbecue.

Recipe for: Moong dal kebabs



Ingredients:

1/2 cup moong dal, cooked till soft but not mushy
2 medium potatoes, boiled, cooled and grated
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 tsp grated ginger root
2 tsp chilli powder (or to taste)
2 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp oil + more for brushing
Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients to make a thick mass of dough.



2. Using your hands (oil them first, the dough will be sticky), form 3" long oval or sausage-like shapes with the dough.



3. Brush oil gently over the kebabs.

4. Run skewers carefully lengthwise through each kebab. Cook under a grill (or over a barbeque) until the kebabs begin to get golden brown spots, turning them so that the kebabs are cooked evenly on all sides.

5. Serve hot, accompanied by tomatoes, salad and a variety of dipping sauces.