And you thought the kebab was Indian? No, it isn’t but some of the variations like the Aloo Kebab certainly are. While Kebab or kobab or kabab (all meaning the same with the only difference being in spelling and pronunciation) originated in the Turkish royal kitchens, it was later brought to India and popularised by the Mughals. Aloo Kebab is one of the many variations that can be prepared easily and tastes absolutely divine.
The word ‘kebab’ itself means ‘to roast’. It is said, that soldiers at war used to grill chunks of meat of freshly hunted animals, skewed onto swords on open fires. Kebab’s first written reference is found in ‘Kyssa-i Yusuf’ in 1377 which is also the oldest known source of the delicious succulent dish.
While the kebab is traditionally meant as a meat patty mixed with spices, variations now include use of mashed or grated boiled vegetables like potatoes, carrots, peas and beetroots too. The softer the kebab the tastier it is. However, some like it crunchy too as this recipe of Aloo Kebab suggests. Try it out
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Servings: 10 kebabs
Aloo kebabs are a wholesome snack | Instagram - @crave.n.cook
- 3 – Medium Sized Potatoes (Boiled And Mashed)
- ½ - Onion Sliced
- 1 Tsp – Ginger Paste
- 1 - Fresh Green Chilly (Chopped)
- ¾ tsp - Salt To Taste
- ½ tsp – Amchur
- ½ tsp - Chaat Masala
- ½ tsp - Black Pepper Powder
- ¼ tsp – Turmeric
- ½ tsp - Garam Masala
- ½ tsp - Cumin Powder
- ¼ tsp - Red Chilli Powder
- 2 tbsp – Mint Leaves (Chopped)
- 2 tbsp – Coriander Leaves (Chopped)
- 1/4th cup –Bread Crumbs
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp - Refined Flour
- 2 tbsp - Cornflour
- ½ tsp – Salt
- ¼ tsp - Pepper Powder
- ½ cup - Water
- Bread Crumbs to cover the kebabs with
Method
- In a bowl, take the mashed potatoes, add onions, ginger paste, green chilly and mix well
- Add all the dry spices to the potato and onion mix - salt, amchur, chaat masala, black pepper powder, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder and red chilli powder
- Add mint and coriander leaves, and mix well
- Add bread crumbs and mix it up as a soft dough
- Once the dough is ready, break up the dough into small balls
- Flatten each dough ball between the palms like a tikki
- Do this with each dough ball
- Then take the kebab, dip it into the cornflour slurry* (preparation given below), and then roll it over bread crumbs till its covered completely
- Prepare all the kebabs and keep aside
- Heat a pan, pour some oil, let it heat up
- Take a few kebabs and shallow fry them, flip over to fry them evenly from both sides, till they are golden brown
- Serve hot with onion rings, toasted bread, mint chutney and/or tomato sauce
- Method Cornflour Slurry
- In a small bowl take maida, cornflour, pepper powder, salt and mix well
- Add a little water to make a paste
- Add more water as required to make a flowing consistency
While Aloo Kebabs can be irresistible to vegetarians, it is important to remember that fried potatoes are calorie dense. By contrast, baked potatoes with a light dressing or a dip are just as tasty and contain one-quarter of the calories of the fried version.
