Indonesian Kebab

I live just a few blocks from a Pakistani/Bangladeshi enclave and my favorite restaurant in the area is one called Pakiza. While their curries are mediocre, the one thing I LOVE are their Chicken Kebabs with Paneer.  I cannot walk by Pakiza, without stopping in to get a few with some Naan.

For my final Blogging Marathon entry in the Kebab category, I was going to try to recreate Pakiza'a delicious chicken kebab.  However, pressed for time, my schedule did not permit me to have time to go to the market and get some things I did not have - like chiles and cilantro.  So I did a switch and instead did an Indonesian kebab because I had ingredients on hand, but with the unique (for Indonesian) addition of paneer.

1 lb. ground chicken
5 oz. paneer, crumbled
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/2 teaspoon galangal powder (galangal is a root similar to ginger)
1 tablespoon kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)

2 teaspoon Sambal Olek (Indonesian chili paste)

10 candlenuts (also known as kemiri nuts), chopped

1 egg
1 1/4 cups toasted sesame seeds

Combine chicken, paneer, ginger paste, garlic paste, galangal powder, kecap manis, Sambal Olek and candlenuts in a bowl.  Stir to combine.

Add egg and stir to combine.  Cover and put in refrigerator for 30 minutes.  They are easier to form when cold.

While the chicken is chilling, make the satay sauce recipe below.
Spray a grill pan with non-stick spray and preheat oven to 375 F.
Form chicken-paneer combination into oblong shapes and roll in sesame seeds.

Place on grill pan and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.  Turn over and cook for another 20 minutes.

Serve with Satay Sauce and garnish with roasted peanuts.

I paired it with a fast, easy version of Indonesian satay sauce.  I used a few more Indonesian products that might be unfamiliar to you:

Instant Satay Sauce
1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/2 cup tamarind concentrate
2 tablespoons palm sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sambal Olek

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until flavors are combined and sauce is slightly thickened.
Instant satay sauce!

These kebabs have a great texture, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The tang of the tamarind in the satay sauce complement them perfectly!


Don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13 - it was a week full of delicious recipes..thank you for an amazing week fellow BM...until next month's BM!

This recipe was also contributed to:
Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
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Moroccan Lamb Kebab with Roasted Root Vegetables

Lamb is the most commonly eaten meat in the Middle East.  Moroccan is one of my favorite cuisines that include the use of a lot of sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in savory dishes.

1 lb.boneless lamb steak, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons Ras al Hanout (Moroccan spice blend mix that can include up to 30 spices (depending on the producer - standard basics include cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, ginger, chile, turmeric)
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
1 teaspoon harissa (Moroccan chile paste)
salt, to taste
dried apricots

Toss lamb with all ingredients except apricots, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Alternate lamb and apricots and skewers that have been soaked in water for 2 hours.

Heat a well oiled grill pan.
Place skewers and grill on all sides, rotating every few minutes.  Total cooking time should be about 8 minutes.
Serve with Roasted Vegetables and garnish with cilantro and dried apricots

Roasted Vegetables:
4 small carrots, chopped
2 small parsnips, chopped
1 medium potato, chopped
1 small sweet potato, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1/4 cup tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Lay vegetable in a casserole dish and toss with salt and pepper.
Combine olive oil and chopped herbs.

Stir to combine.
Toss roasted vegetables with oil and herb mix.

Pour into casserole dish and bake in oven for 1 hour, until vegetables are tender.

Don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

and if you love kebabs, check out all my kebab recipes plus more from other bloggers at:
Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
Follow me on TWITTER!
Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Plantain-Paneer Kebab

Here is an original kebab I came up with using ingredients and flavors I love and trying to come up with another vegetarian one, to contribute to Blogging Marathon.
I baked these, to make a healthier version of kebab!

Don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13 - Thank you Srivalli for challenging me to be creative within my chosen theme and create a kebab never done before!

1 yellow, ripe plantain, cut in half
4 oz. paneer, crumbled
1 teaspoon ghee
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
2 chiles, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dhana-jeera powder
1/2 teaspoon chaat masala spice mix
salt, to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon plain yogurt

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Put plantain in a saucepan and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and cook until plantains are soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Remove plantain from skins and mash with paneer.
In a small skillet, heat ghee.  Add onions, garlic and chiles and saute until vegetables are softened.

Add sauteed vegetables to plantain-paneer mix and add spices and salt.

Mix thoroughly.
Add yogurt and mix thoroughly.

Shape into 5 evenly sized balls.
Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray and place balls in dish.

Bake in oven for 40 minutes, turning halfway through.

Serve with your favorite chutney.

These came out even better than I thought.  Even plain without the chutney, they were so yummy...it was hard to stop eating them...this is a definite crowd pleaser!
and if you love kebabs, check out all my kebab recipes plus more from other bloggers at:
Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
Follow me on TWITTER!
Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Vegetarian Shami Kebab

Since so many of my Blogging Marathon cohorts are vegetarian, when I am participating in BM, I do try to keep at least some of my contributing recipes vegetarian.

Don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Shami Kebab is a popular street food item in India, however, it is usually made with minced meat and chickpeas.  I did discover a few vegetarian versions online, substituting the meat with green plantain.  Initially, I was going to use this recipe.  However, after shopping, I had forgotten to buy the green plantain.  I did have a sweet potato.  I created this unique vegetarian version of Shami Kebab, using sweet potato.

1 cup sweet potato, boiled and mashed
1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked and mashed
2 teaspoons oil, seperated
1 onion, chopped
3 chiles, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Shami Kebab masala (the one I bought had left the cloves and black peppercorns whole, so I pulsed these in a coffee grinder before adding them)

1/2 cup khoya, grated (khoya is a dried milk product, available at Indian markets) (If you can't find it, here is a you tube video how to make it yourself.  If you do this and the khoya is fresh, it may not be necessary to grate it.)
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, plus extra for garnishing
oil, for frying

Heat1 teaspoon of the oil.  Saute onions and chiles, until vegetables are softened.

Mash sweet potato and chickpeas together.  Add sauteed onions and chiles with masala, salt, ginger paste and garlic paste.

Combine khoya, pomegranate seeds, garam masala, remaining teaspoon of oil and dash of salt to form a dough.

Seperate into 4 balls.

Take some of the mashed sweet potato-chickpea mix and form a pattie in your hand.  Place one of the khoya balls in the pattie and form the pattie around the khoya.

Heat oil in a skillet and pan fry until golden brown on all sides.  They may start to fall apart a little because the sweet potato is a lot softer than the traditional green plantain.  Just use a wooden spoon to hold it together, if any of them start breaking apart.  They will eventually set together.

Some of the onions, sweet potato, etc. will leak into the oil during the cooking process.  Reduce it and you have a sauce you can pour over the shammi kebab and garnish with pomegranate seeds.








Hope you enjoy my version of a Vegetarian Shammi Kebab!

Recipe also submitted to Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
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Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Asian Shrimp Kebab

I love all types of seafood and especially shrimp. Grilled, sauteed or even just steamed, I could eat shrimp every day, although my cholesterol level would start to suffer.
Here is a delicious Asian-inspired Shrimp Kebab to contribute to the Blogging Marathon. (don't forget to Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13 ) 

1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and cleaned (if you're vegetarian, substitute tofu or paneer)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 stalks lemongrass, pounded and chopped (it is important to crush the lemongrass with a mallet to release the flavor)
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
sugar snap peas, tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
bell pepper,cut into large pieces and tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
grape tomatoes, tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper
soaked wooden or bamboo skewers (soaked in water for at least 2 hours)

In a bowl, combine shrimp, lemongrass, ginger,

mint leaves and soy sauce.  Stir to combine and put in refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours.
Remove shrimp from marinade.  Season with a little salt and pepper.

Make kebabs by placing an assortment of vegetables and shrimp on each skewer.

Heat a grill pan and brush with olive oil.  Place skewers on heated grill pan and cook for a few minutes on each side until shrimp is cooked through, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serve with Mango Achar (adapted from Malaysian Pineapple Achar recipe from Authentic Recipes from Malaysia)
1 cup Mango, chopped small
1 chile, finely chopped
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour, before serving.










This delicious recipe was also submitted to Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
Follow me on TWITTER!
Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!

Fruit Kebab

As I said yesterday, kebabs are different things in different countries. Here, where I live in NY, kebab can mean anything on a stick and are a popular summer barbecue item.  Even fruit kebabs have become popular.  Of all the grilled fruits, my favorite is pineapple.  I now love grilling pineapple to put on anything from burgers to stir-fry.  I made these delicious kebabs with pineapple and other fruits.

Fruit Kebabs

pineapple, cut into large chunks
mango, cut into large chunks
strawberries, hulled
grapes
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar
wooden skewers

Soak skewers in water for at least 2 hours.  This is so that they do not burn.
Combine butter and sugar in a small bowl and stir to combine.
On each skewer, place an assortment of all the fruit, except the grapes.
Brush the fruit on the skewers with the butter-sugar combination.

Place on a hot, oiled grill pan and cook on high heat, turning so that all sides are grilled evenly.
Remove from grill pan and place a grape on each end of the skewer.

Note: Peaches are not in season now so it is difficult to get sweet, ripe peaches, however, peaches are my second favorite grilled fruit and work deliciously on these kebabs as well.

Ginger Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves
2 tablespoons honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.  Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving, to allow time for the flavors to develop.

Serve fruit kebabs with yogurt sauce.

There is something about the flavor of grilling - whether it is fruit, veggies or meat there is a flavor that is indescribable and just yummy, even without the outdoor barbecue and flavored chips - i.e. cedar.
The great taste of BBQ can still be acquired in a NYC apartment!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

Recipe also sent to Kebab Mela

Chef Mireille
http://www.globaltasteinc.com
Like me on FACEBOOK!
Follow me on TWITTER!
Contact me at chefmireille@globaltasteinc.com for personal chef and cooking class services!