The Fusion Kebabs

Sunday,the last day of the week and a day of more work than rest because you attended a late night party. You got up late or you realize that you haven’t done the laundry, grocery and the lawn and etc, etc, etc. And you have to make tomorrow’s lunch. Well for starters, a quick recipe. What, so soon? No talk of benefits or joys of Indian cooking? Well, well, well, take the recipe and use for tomorrow’s lunch and then we will talk about other things.

Today was a glorious day, just right for BBQ. I had to go for my monthly get together with my girl friends. But my husband said “how can you not bar-be-cue today? So I thought a quick recipe will do. Now many of you are already thinking how you can have a quick recipe for BBQ. But there is, dear, and I am going to give it to you. Preparation time is 10 minutes and cooking time is 10-12 minutes. I named the recipe ‘Fusion Kebabs’ because they are a blend of the east and west.

You will need,

2 pounds mince (I use chicken but you can use beef, lamb or any mince)
1 medium onion
3 green chilies - optional
Half a bunch of green coriander - cilantro
1 medium tomato
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic- green chili paste
1 tsp aniseed (saunf)
1tsp black onion seeds (kalaunji)
1 tbsp garam masala
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp black pepper powder- optional
1 ball of specialty cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes. I used one with garlic and herbs.
2 tbsp cooking oil
Salt to taste

Method
Finely dice onion, tomato, chilies, coriander each separately. Heat the grill. In a large bowl put the mince with everything except oil. Mix thoroughly till everything is blended in.

Baste the grill with 1 tbsp of cooking oil and also grease your palms with it. Make patties of the mix and flatten them in your hands. Now put one cheese piece in the middle and close the patty. Make all patties like this and place them on the grill. Cook for 5-6 minutes on one side. Turn and cook on the other side. Serve with onion rings and salad of your choice. You can also use them for making burgers. That is what I do and my children love these.
Green chili- garlic paste
30 green chilies
2 pods garlic
4 tbsp vinegar
Grind everything in a food processor. Put it in a bottle. This can be stored in the fridge for up to a month.

The onions and the tomato will keep the kebabs moist and the cheese when melted will give it a distinct flavor. Tomatoes also work as a tenderizer for the meat.
Tenderizing the meat is very important in order to not only cook the meat properly but also helping to absorb the flavours. The ancient Indians knew several methods of tenderizing. Maharishi Sushruta (father of Indian Ayurveda and surgery) mentions of cooking meat around 4th century AD. He describes meat as the energy giver to our body. He also talks about meat which is tenderized and cooked with ghee, curd, acetic fruits such as lemons and pomegranate is a wholesome diet and helps in strengthening our tissues. Tenderizing breaks the meat molecules and makes them easy to digest besides adding flavour. Sometime you will find a combination of tenderizers used in one recipe. Meat is also tenderized by beating it with a wooden mallet. Some of the most commonly used tenderizers in Indian cooking are yogurt, lemon, raw papaya, raw mango, vinegar, khatti lassi, tamarind and tomatoes.

As for feeling tired I would suggest finishing your chores during the week. Say, buy your grocery on Tuesday when there is hardly any rush and finish your laundry on Monday and Thursday. Then you can relax and enjoy the weekend. As for mowing the lawn, do it on a Saturday and then have a picnic lunch of kebabs in your backyard.

Bon Appétit!!!