Thursday, July 06, 2006

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.

7 comments:

Meeta K. Wolff said...

Shammi,
It looks great and I never thought you could make dal kebabs. Now, I am really glad I decided on this theme as I have learnt something completely new. Thnak you for your lovely recipe. Look for the round-up sometime Sunday.

Whatever happened to our idea about a meet here in Germany?

Vaishali said...

I like my larder/cupboards to be like a mini-supermarket where I can always get what I want

I, too, am so like that. Moreover, I also like my pantry to offer me surprises once in a while. (And it often does. :)) When I am on a 'tiding up' spree, I often spot things that I had totally forgotten about. And then I get as excited as though I had seen that thing for the first time. :)
Btw, I think Chana dal will be milder in flavour and will also make crispier kebabs. What if we soak it, grind it, steam it and then use it in place of Moong dal? Well, I am just thinking out loud. Your kebabs look good to me anyway. :)

Anonymous said...

Meeta (and Vaishali): The idea about a meet in Germany is still very much a possibility - only towards the end of August, which is when we have a bank holiday here and therefore a long weekend.

Vaishali - your idea to use chana dal sounds good. Shall try it one of these days - or if you try it, do let me know how it turns out! :) PS. I love those pantry surprises too :)

Anonymous said...

When I read the title, I felt it is a non-veg kebab. I am really happy to see a veggie kebab recipe. Thanks for sharing :).

Sumitha said...

A veggie healthy kabab!Too good!

Menu Today said...

Hi Shammi,
Kebabs with dal, very interesting and nice recipe. Thanx for sharing.

Neelu said...

O Wow they look no less than chicken kabas :) very nice tempting pic.