Dal & Sabz Seekh Kabab

As the climate starts getting warmer, grills start getting hotter!! Yes, it is time to get out of the house and BBQ. My favorite part of BBQ is cooking on charcoal. Red hot charcoal, smoky flavor, and food cooked to perfection in a very short period of time. Yes that's the fun of BBQ. 

People feel there are immense BBQ options for non-vegetarians and vegetarians can only enjoy grilled vegetables and corn on the cob. Surely, marinated and grilled veggies taste heavenly and corn on the cob smeared with salt and lime are delicious, but wait till you see all my BBQ posts. As vegetarians we enjoy cooking on charcoal and our little terracotta grill is perfect to store and clean and perfect size for BBQing in our balcony! This grill was bought from World Market (my favorite shopping place) and is perfect to carry it for outdoor BBQ or to the campsites.

Seekh are metal skewers used in kabab making. Seekh kabab gets it's name from the fact than minced meat is wrap around metal skewers and then grilled to perfection. Charcoal cooks the food quicker and evenly. Inspired by non-vegetarian seekh kababs, I tried my hands on vegetarian version by using nutritious dals/lentils and veggies.

So why should you wait?? Turn on your grill and get BBQing!

Ingredients to make 20-25 Seekh Kababs (for a BBQ party)

2+1/2 cup mixed dal (yellow moong dal, chana dal, and masoor dal)
2 cups carrots minced
2 large boiled potatoes
2-3 green chillies (or to your spice)
1 tsp. turmeric
2 tbsp. chilli power
2 tbsp. coriander seeds (dhania seeds)
4-5 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
4-5 spring onions
2 fresh limes
3 tbsp.oil
Salt to taste
Around 1 cup poha (flaked rice)
Around 1/2 cup rawa (semolina)
Around3-4 tbsp. cornstarch

• Soak dals in double the amount of water for 2-3 hours or overnight if you want to make the kababs in the morning.
• Remove excess water from the top. Just keep enough water for dals to be submerged in it. Add salt and turmeric and boil for 10-15 minutes till tender and water evaporates.
• In a food processor mince carrots, ginger, garlic, green chillies, spring onions, coriander seeds. 
• Add softened dal and coarsely grind it.
• Add boiled and mashed potatoes.
• Remove in a mixing bowl and add chilli powder and garam masala powder to taste.
• Add juice of fresh limes and oil.
• Mix well and give a taste test, Add salt, spice or lime juice.
• Add poha and rawa to the mixture. This will absorb all the moisture and help to bind the mixture.
• Add cornstarch the the mixture and mix well. You might have to adjust the amount of poha, rawa and cornstarch depending on how moist the mixture is. The mixture should stay well on the seekh without falling. If it does not, add more poha, rawa, and cornstarch to the mixture.
• Dip your palm in water or oil. Spread handful of dal and sabz mixture on the seekh/skewers and lightly press it.Water or oil will prevent the mixture on sticking onto your palm.
• When done, immediately put on a charcoal grill or electric grill or griddle. cook on all side for 2-3 minutes on charcoal grill.
• Remove in a plate. Sprinkle chaat masala and squeeze fresh lime juice. 
• Serve with sliced onions and cilantro and min chutney.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Soak dals in double the amount of water for 2-3 hours or overnight if you want to make the kababs in the morning.

Remove excess water from the top. Just keep enough water for dals to be submerged in it. Add salt and turmeric and boil for 10-15 minutes till tender and water evaporates.

In a food processor mince carrots, ginger, garlic, green chillies, spring onions, coriander seeds. 

Add softened dal and coarsely grind it.
Add boiled and mashed potatoes. 

Remove in a mixing bowl and add chilli powder and garam masala powder to taste.

Add juice of fresh limes and oil.

Mix well and give a taste test, Add salt, spice or lime juice.

Add poha and rawa to the mixture. This will absorb all the moisture and help to bind the mixture.

Add cornstarch the the mixture and mix well. You might have to adjust the amount of poha, rawa and cornstarch depending on how moist the mixture is. The mixture should stay well on the seekh without falling. If it does not, add more poha, rawa, and cornstarch to the mixture.

Dip your palm in water or oil. Spread handful of dal and sabz mixture on the seekh/skewers and lightly press it.Water or oil will prevent the mixture on sticking onto your palm.

When done, immediately put on a charcoal grill or electric grill or griddle. cook on all side for 2-3 minutes on charcoal grill.

Remove in a plate. Sprinkle chaat masala and squeeze fresh lime juice. 

Serve with sliced onions and cilantro and min chutney.

Enjoy Vegetarian BBQ!!