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COCKTAIL IDLI SKEWERS



    I am a hardcore Punjabi but somehow we make a lot of South Indian breakfast and snacks at my home. I recently posted the recipe of Milagai Podi, which is also known as Gunpowder masala, and I thought I should share one of the ways we eat it at home! Here's a recipe that's super simple, yet has bold and complex flavours.







    Basically, Podi or Gunpowder masala, as the name suggests is a fiery dry powder which is a blend of spices and lentils. It’s a popular southern Indian food condiment typically served as side dish with idli as a dipping condiment along with ghee or sesame oil. It's got a rich nutty and earthy flavour with a kick of spice, and the ghee adds a buttery coating on your palate.


    I love serving this as a cocktail snack or starter, as I find this recipe to be one of the quickest way to impress your guests – it's so simple but no one will guess it just by tasting it!


    To learn how to make the Gunpowder masala from scratch, click here!

    YIELDS: 15 cocktail skewers

    PREP TIME: 15 minutes

    COOKING TIME: 20 minutes



    INGREDIENTS


    For Marinade:

    • 1/4 cup Milagai podi

    • 2 tsp lemon juice

    • 1/4 tsp salt

    • 2 tbsp warm melted ghee

    For Kebabs:

    • 1 cup ready idli batter

    • 2 onions, cut in 2cm pieces

    • 3 medium bell pepper (red, yellow and green) cut into 2cm pieces

    • Oil for grilling the skewers

    Equipment needed:

    • Mini idli mould

    • Cocktail skewers



    METHOD


    1. To steam the idlis, take a large cooking pot/ steamer, or a large pressure cooker. Pour about 1 and a half cup of water, cover to let it boil.

    2. Meanwhile, brush mini idli mould with oil. Pour the batter in the mould, stack the plates in its stand and place it in the cooker. Cover and let it steam for 10 minutes on low flame.

    3. Remove stand from the steamer/ cooker, unmould the idlis with the help of a table knife. Keep aside.

    4. Thread the cocktail skewers with idlis, onions and colored bell peppers alternatively. Heat the griddle pan and brush it with little oil. Now grill the skewers on low heat, turn the sides to evenly roast. Grill until bell peppers and onions are roasted and slightly charred.

    5. While the idli skewers are grilling, prepare the marinade. Pour Milagai podi powder, salt, lemon and ghee in a small bowl and mix together. Brush the marinade over the grilled skewers and serve it with coconut or tomato chutney.



    COOK'S NOTES:


    • Pour just enough water in the steaming vessel where it’s not touching the idli mould. It should be just below the bottom tray of the mould.

    • If you do not have the podi masala already prepared, you can always make these with sambar masala powder if you have one in your pantry. To prepare milagai podi powder, follow the recipe of Milagai Podi on the website under the breakfast category.

    • To prepare idli batter at home soak 1 part urad dal and 3 parts of idli rice along with one part of poha and half a tsp of fenugreek seeds for 4-6 hours. Drain water from soaked rice and dal and reserve. In a grinder mixer, add the drained rice and dal mix, adding little reserved water from soaked rice and grind it to a smooth paste. If you find the batter thick add little more water. Cover the batter with a lid and leave it to ferment for 6-8 hours or overnight. Once fermented add little salt and it’s ready to make the idli.

    • To make this dish vegan, replace ghee with sesame oil.


    DAHI KEBABS



      When you think of kebabs your mind is mostly associating it with meats and you would hardly think of their vegetarian cousins.


      Dahi kebabs are the most delicious vegetarian kebabs which are soft, creamy, and delicate in flavor that simply melt in your mouth. The prime ingredient of this kebab is yogurt...Yes, you heard it right it’s made with yogurt.

      Basically the yogurt is hung in muslin cloth to remove the whey, and the cream left is called hung yogurt, which is used for making these kebabs. Crumbled paneer and bread crumbs are added along with some condiments to enhance the flavors of this delicate kebab, shaped in discs and deep fried.


      I like serving these kebabs with tamarind chutney and the green chilli coriander chutney which was made with freshly plucked green chillies growing in my garden.


      It’s a typical North Indian starter perfect to serve in dinner parties as an appetizer. Plan ahead if you want to serve this dish, as it takes time to prepare the hung yogurt.


      And don’t forget to read the cook’s notes for some alternatives!


      YIELDS: 16-18 pieces

      PREP TIME: 30 minutes

      COOKING TIME: 15 minutes

      PASSIVE TIME: 8 hours or overnight



      INGREDIENTS


      • 350g hung yogurt (made from 1kg yogurt)

      • 6-8 slices white bread, fresh

      • 175g fresh paneer, finely grated

      • 2 tbsp coriander, finely chopped

      • 1.5” piece ginger, finely chopped

      • 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped

      • 1 tsp jeera (cumin) powder

      • Salt to taste

      • Oil for frying



      METHOD


      1. To make hung yogurt, in a deep bowl, place a sieve, spread muslin cloth on top and drop 1 kilo yogurt into it. Knot the muslin cloth loosely and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Squeeze out any more excess whey and remove ready hung yogurt in a separate bowl.

      2. Remove crust from bread slices and save it for later. Blitz the slices in food processor and make fine bread crumbs.

      3. In a bowl of hung yogurt, add 1 cup (50g) bread crumbs, grated paneer, ginger, green chillies, coriander, cumin powder and salt, mix them well together. With the help of two spoons make 16 dollops.

      4. Blitz the reserved bread crusts in a blender and mix it with remaining breadcrumbs. Drop a dollop into crumbs, roll it gently with your fingers to coat well from all sides. Shape it into flat round discs (about 1.5cm thick). Repeat with the rest of the mix. Refrigerate the prepared discs for 30 minutes or until ready to be fried.

      5. Heat oil in a deep pan, drop 3 to 4 kebabs at a time and fry on medium high heat until its golden brown. Remove on absorbent paper and serve with tamarind and coriander chutney.



      COOK'S NOTES:


      • You can also prepare the hung yogurt in muslin cloth (cheese cloth) tied to the sink tap and letting the water drain in your sink.

      • I have added bread crumbs based on the consistency of the hung yogurt, but if you hung it too long and yogurt has become too dry, add less quantity of bread crumbs and paneer. On the contrary, if the yogurt is still bit soft, add more bread crumbs and paneer and adjust the seasoning.

      • Deep fry only at medium high temperature of oil, because on slow heat these will break.

      • Do not fry all kebabs at once as the temperature of oil will drop and your kebabs will break.

      • Kebabs can also be shallow fried or air fried.

      • Do not keep tossing the kebabs in oil as they are delicate and can easily break.

      • If you are in a hurry, you can also use labneh instead of hung yogurt to prepare the kebabs. Labneh is a typical middle eastern condiment which is like a cream cheese made with hung yogurt cream. It is used to eat with lavash, khubz or pita breads or as a spread on any bread with olive oil, za’taar etc.


      FALAFEL



        These falafels are my take on traditional falafel recipes which are naturally vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian friendly. My introduction to these Middle Eastern appetizers were first done 22 years back in Australia, when an Iraqi friend opened up her restaurant and showed me how to cook this most delicious comforting appetizer.


        Moving into the Middle East developed my love for these gorgeous crispy green balls even more.


        These falafels are best made with dried and soaked chickpeas, not canned. Canned chickpeas go mushy and would be soggy in texture. These are a good source of vegetarian protein traditionally served with a dipping sauce called ‘tahini’ made with sesame paste, garlic and lemon which makes the best combo served either in pita pockets or wraps with fresh salad.


        If you are watching your diet and counting on your calorie intake, these can be easily made in air fryer or baked in the oven too. For your convenience, I have shared the recipe of how to and bake and air fry them in the tips.

        YIELDS: 25 pieces

        PREP TIME: 10 minutes

        COOKING TIME: 15-20 minutes

        PASSIVE TIME: 6 hours to overnight



        INGREDIENTS

        • 1 cup chickpeas

        • 1/2 tsp baking soda

        • 1/2 tsp baking powder

        • 1/2 tbsp plain flour

        • 1 tsp cumin powder

        • 1 tsp coriander powder

        • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or chilli powder

        • 1 small onion, chopped

        • 4 cloves garlic

        • 3-4 tbsp of parsley, chopped

        • 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

        • Salt to taste

        • Oil for frying



        METHOD

        1. Soak chickpeas overnight or for 6 to 8 hours; drain and put in food processor.

        2. Add all other ingredients except sesame seeds and baking soda; blend to make coarse paste. Now add sesame seeds, baking soda and powder.

        3. With the help of falafel instrument or ice-cream scoop, shape them in thick disks or flat balls and deep fry in medium hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes each side until golden brown.

        4. Serve as it is with tahina sauce or make pita pockets with salad and tahina.



        COOK'S NOTES:

        • Falafels are best cooked with soaked chickpeas. Do not use canned chickpeas to make falafels as they will go mushy.

        • If you are conscious about your calorie intake you can make baked falafels in the oven or air fry them.

        • In the Oven: Bake the falafel balls at 200°C for 18-20 minutes, flip and bake for another 15 minutes.

        • In the Air Fryer: Spray the falafel balls with non-stick cooking spray or oil and bake them at 180°C for 20-22 minutes.


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