Shami Kebabs : Round Minced Meat Rissoles

Shami Kebab / Shami Tikka is a popular snack in Indian Cuisine. Like many other non-vegetarian dishes, it was introduced to South Asia during the Mughal period by Muslim immigrants from the Middle East. It’s made of a richly flavored small patty of minced meat.

Usually, lamb /goat/beef meat is used with ground chickpeas and egg that helps to hold it together. This yummy appetizer is normally served with ring onion, lemon and some green chutney of coriander or mint. 

Today I will share the recipe of this tasty appetizer that I made a couple of weeks back for a party at my home.  The aroma of the dry spices combined with meat and pulses make this dish very delicious. It not only tastes melt in the mouth, it’s healthy too as it’s not deep-fried but slowly cooked on a Tawa / skillet. 

Recipe of Shami Kebabs ( I have used chicken here, you can use lamb/ goat meat too  serves - 4 to 6 people 

Ingredients :

Chicken / Mutton / Lamb : 500 g
Channa Dal / Split Bengal Gram : 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 medium one, finely chopped
Ginger paste: 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon
Garlic paste: 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon 
Green chillis: two, chopped or as per your tolerance
Red Chili powder: 1 teaspoon 
Garam Masala powder: 1 teaspoon 
Oil: 2 tablespoons
Salt: to taste 

Finely chopped onion, green chilies, mint, and cilantro: a handful
Lime juice: few drops 

Egg: 1 Butter / Clarified Butter / oil  





Method :

1. Soak the Chana Dal (Bengal grams ) in water for 2 to 3 hours. Wash, rinse and then put it in the pressure cooker. Add a cup of water to it, cover the lid on and cook it on medium heat until three whistles come. Let the steam release on its own.
Once it is done, open the pressure cooker, discard the extra water and keep the cooked dal aside.

2. In the same pressure cooker, add chicken/mutton and add 1 cup water. Add a tablespoon of ginger and garlic and cook it on medium heat until the meat is cooked. ( if you use chicken 2 whistles is enough, if it is mutton then 4 whistles )  Let the steam release on its own. Preserve the chicken stock for other recipes. Discard the bone parts and set the chicken/ mutton aside. 

3. Take a big non-stick pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it up. When the oil is hot, add chopped onions, saute the onion for a couple of minutes. Add chopped green chilies. Add grated ginger and garlic, cook it until raw smell goes off. Add cooked chicken or mutton. Give some stirs. Add red chili powder and garam masala powder. Add salt and cooked chana dal. Mix it together. Switch off the gas and let the mixture come to room temperature. 

4. Take a blender, add the mixture to it grind it to a coarse paste. 

5. Transfer it from the blender to a plate. Add finely chopped onion, green chilies, mint, and cilantro. Add lime juice and mix well. Check the seasoning. 

6. Now divide the mixture into equal portions. Using your palm make the kebabs of any desired shape, generally flat round shape. 

7. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of water.

8. Take a nonstick pan, add butter / clarified butter. Dip each kebab in the egg mixture and shallow fry the kebabs from both sides till golden brown. Serve hot as an appetizer or a snack with ring onions, lemon and some green chutney of coriander or mint or tomato ketchup. 

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Chicken Croquettes ( Bengali Style Chicken Chop )

For long time I had a dream to spend a weekend in an ocean side resort and enjoy with my family. Finally my husband gave me a surprise on president’s day long weekend and we went to a resort in a place called Palos Verdes near Los Angeles. After spending those pampering days, when we came back on Monday and we had a get together with some family friends at our residence. This time I cooked some new stuffs and taken photographs but there were no time to write the recipe and share with you. 

 

Starting this week I am slowly coming back to my old routine and hope would be able to maintain the pace. Today I am going to share a yummy snack, a popular street food of Calcutta and eastern part of India. If you visit the city, you would find hundreds of road-side vendors are selling this kind of snack. The formal name of this dish is Chicken Croquettes, commonly known as Chicken chop or chicken cutlet. The word Croquette has come from the French word "Croquer" that means to crunch.

Croquette is a small deep fried food that usually contains mashed potatoes or ground meet (goat, beef, chicken or turkey), fish, cheese or vegetables as filling. The Croquette is usually shaped like a cylinder, disk or oval shape.First dip the filling in egg wash, roll in bread crumbs and finally deep fry in hot oil. If you want to avoid deep-frying, you can bake them too at oven. The Bengali version can be of different types, both veg and non-veg. Potatoes, mixed vegetables, banana flowers are very commonly used as a filling when it is vegetarian. On the other hand fish (macher chop), minced mutton (mansher Chop) are very popular as non-vegetarian croquettes. Whether it’s veg or non-veg, each variety of croquettes has a distinctive taste and texture. Once they are cooked, become quite crispy on the outside but remains soft inside, very tempting as an appetizer or a party snack. Generally it is served with tomato ketchup or with your choice of dip and with onion rings and some salads. 

Recipe of Chicken Croquettes ( Bengali Style Chicken Chop ) : for 10 pieces 

Ingredients : 

Boneless Chicken breast : 1 lb / 500 g ( boiled and shredded )

Onion : a big one, finely chopped 

Ginger paste : 1 teaspoon

Garlic paste : 1 tablespoon

Tomato : a small one chopped 

Green chilies : as per tolerance (if you want to avoid green chilies, you can use black pepper powder or red chili powder.)

Coriander powder : 1 teaspoon 

Potato : 1 medium sized, boiled 

Green Cardamom : 2 

Cinnamon stick : 1 inch

Cloves : 2 

Salt : 

Egg : 1

Breadcrumbs : 1 cup 

Oil : for deep frying 

Method :

1. Take a big pan, heat it up and add 2-3 tablespoon oil. Once oil is hot, add cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves to it. Once they are fragrant, discard them from oil.

2. Add the chopped onion to the pan, saute it till it changes the color to light brown, add ginger and garlic. Stir it, cook until the raw smell goes off. Add the chopped tomato to the pan, sprinkle some salt. Cook it till the tomato becomes soft and smashed. 

3. Add coriander powder and green chilies. Stir it and mix it, till oil starts separating from the sides of the pan.

4. Add the boiled and shredded chicken. Mix it nicely with the spices and keep stirring for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the potato, smashed it with a spatula and mix well with chicken-spice mixture. 

5. Give some stirs, until the mixture is well combined. Check the seasoning, add salt or chilies if needed. Turn off the gas, now filling is ready. 

6. Divide the mixture into 10 equal balls, give them shape like a cylinder, disk or oval. 

7. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoon of water and on an another flat dish, spread the breadcrumbs. 

8. Take a ball first dip into the egg mixture, then roll it on the breadcrumbs until it gets a nice coat all over it. Do the same process for the rest of the balls. 

9. Now take a deep frying pan, add oil and heat it up. Once oil is ready, deep fry the balls in two batches on medium-high heat until they are evenly golden brown on both sides. 

10. Take out them from oil and place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Chicken Croquettes ( Bengali Style Chicken Chop) are ready to serve. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or with your choice of dip and with onion rings and some salads. 

Note :

 If you want to avoid deep frying, you can bake them too. To bake the Chicken Croquette after 8th step, take a baking sheet, grease it with non stick spray. Place the Chicken balls on it and nicely spray with non stick spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C, bake them until they are evenly golden brown on both sides. In between check it, turn the other side and again spray lightly with non stick cooking spray. It takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes for each side to be done. To see the baking process in detail you can check this recipe too ( Baked Tuna Cutlet )

The same recipe, you can try with minced goat meat, or beef or lamb. 

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Egg Devil ( Dim r Chop )

A whiff of some food’s flavors can send you back to your childhood memories when weekend was not synonymous to party or eating out! Rather your mom or grand mom would make something special on Sunday or some traditional “tele-bhaja” will be brought from nearest famous shops. The entire family would be reunited to enjoy the same. Some of these recipes are age-old and handed down through generations. “Dimer Chop” is one of such snacks preparations, which is also called 'Dimer Devil' / Egg Devil ☺

Today I'll share this secret recipe of Egg Devil which is also popular as a street food in Bengal. Egg Devil is actually result of the influence from Mughlai Cuisine, introduced to Bengali Cuisine in the early eighteenth century. It has several different procedures to make. Sometimes it is made with boiled half egg when yolk is taken out. Then mix it with the potato mixture and place back in position. Give it a shape of full egg with the potato mixture and then dip in egg wash. Roll in the bread crumbs and finally deep-fry it.

There is another version of the same dish when you can use either the half of a boiled egg or the full one. Then cover the egg with potato mixture, dip in egg-wash, roll in bread-crumbs and deep-fry it. This version is the most popular and usually found in any restaurant in Calcutta or street-side stalls. Today I will follow the same version. This is very similar to Scotch egg, while Scotch egg consists of a hard-boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat. Only difference is that our Egg Devil is wrapped in potato mixture. You can serve this Crunchy deep-fried Egg Devil either as a snack or an appetizer with your favorite dipping sauce. It goes well with kasundi (zesty mustard sauce) and with some salads. 

Recipe of Dim r Chop ( Egg Devil ) : For 6 pieces

Ingredients : 

For Potato mixture :

1. Potato - 3 (medium to big sized ) boiled and smashed 
2. Oil - 3 tbsp
3. Onion - 1 small ( finely chopped )
4. Garlic - 1 to 2 tbsp (paste or grated )
5. Salt - 
6. Bhaja Masla ( Roasted Spice Powder ) - 1 tbsp 

 Hard Boiled Egg - 6 ( if you want to make it of full egg ) or 3 ( if you want it of half egg )

Egg : 1 for egg wash

Bread Crumbs : 

Oil : for deep frying 

Method : 


For Roasted Spice Powder - Take a tablespoon of cumin seeds, and a whole ( or half as per tolerance) dry red chili. First dry roast it till it becomes fragrant, then grind them into a powder.


1. Take a pan, add oil and heat it up, once oil is ready, add onion. Saute the onion, til it is light brown, add salt to it. 

2. Add the garlic paste and stir it until raw smell goes off.

3. Add the boiled and smashed potato to the pan, add salt, stir it and mix it well.

4. Add 1 tbsp of Roasted Spice Powder ( bhaja masla ) and again give some stirs. Check seasoning  and once potato is enough dry, turn off the gas. The Potato mixture is ready, set it aside and let it cool down at room temperature. 

5. Take the boiled egg, cut into two vertical pieces. If you want to make the devil of full egg, don't need to cut it.

6. Take a piece of egg, cover it with the potato mixture and give it to an oval shape. Repeat the process for the rest of the eggs.

7. Make the egg wash by whisking the egg with 2-3 tbsp of water to have a smooth consistency. Spread the bread crumbs on a flat surface. 

8. First dip the potato mixture coated egg in the egg wash then roll in the bread crumbs.

9. Repeat the same process for all the eggs and make sure they are well coated with bread crumbs. 

10. Heat oil in deep frying pan. Once it's ready, fry them one by one at medium temperature till they get nice brown color on the both sides. Take them out from the pan and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. 

11. Egg Devil aka Dimer Devil is ready!! Serve hot with mustard sauce( kasundi ) or your favorite dipping sauce and with some salad.

Note :  If you want to avoid deep frying method, you can bake it at oven,  for baking method click here, go to the 'Method' and follow 11th and 12th steps.

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Baked Tuna Cutlet

Today I am going to share a recipe of cutlet, rather healthy cutlets. Did it sound weird, cutlet and still healthy! Yes, when you bake your cutlets instead of deep frying, it is no more junk or fast food. So you don’t need to resist your temptation and stop after having only one! Keep on eating more, one after another till your stomach is fulfilled. The taste would be as good as deep-fried one. And if nobody tells you that these are not fried, you won’t be able to differentiate.

Fish Cutlets are always tasty and no exception with this Tuna Cutlet. As the canned Tuna is always ready to use, you don’t need to wash fish pieces and cook them first, just mix with the spices and make the cutlets. You can use fresh Tuna instead of canned one. If you don’t like Tuna, try this recipe with any of your favorite fishes. I generally use the Chunk Light Tuna Can (in oil).

If you don't count the calorie you can deep fry them. Its shape can be anything as you like. But if you want to put this cutlet in sandwiches or hamburger, shape it like patties. Sometimes when I have leftover cutlet, I bake again slightly and put them in the burgers or sandwiches.

This is a perfect tea time snack or goes well as a party appetizer. Kids would love them too. When you make these cutlets for kids, just skip the green chili part. The entire process of making this cutlet is so easy and fast!

Recipe of Baked Tuna Cutlet  for ( 8 to 10 pieces )

Ingredients :

1. Chunk light Tuna (in vegetable oil)  - 1 can (5 oz or 142 g) or use any white fish ( shallow fried or boiled )  
2. Onion - a big one, finely chopped
3. Ginger - 1 tbsp grated or paste
4. Garlic - 2 tbsp
5. Tomato - a small one, chopped
6. Cilantro - a handful, chopped
7. Green Chilies - 1 or 2, as per taste ( optional ), if you want to avoid green chilies, you can use black pepper powder or Red chili powder.
8. Potato - 1 medium sized, boiled
9. Green Cardamom - 2
10. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
12. Cloves - 2
13. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
14. Grated Cheese (Cheddar) - 1-2 tbsp ( optional )
15. Salt -
16. Egg - 1
17. Breadcrumbs -
18. Non stick Spray -
19. Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp


Method :

1. Open the can of Tuna, drain the oil and keep the Tuna aside.

2. Take a big pan, put 2-3 tbsp oil and heat it up. Add the cardamoms, cinnamon stick, cloves to the pan. Once they are fragrant, discard them from the oil.

3. Add the chopped onion to the pan, saute it till it changes the color to light brown, add ginger and garlic. Stir it, cook until the raw smell goes off. Add the chopped tomato to it, sprinkle some salt. Cook it till the tomato becomes soft and smashed. 

4. Add the coriander powder and green chilies. Stir it and mix it, till oil starts separating from the sides of the pan.

5. Add the Tuna, mix it nicely with the spices, and keep stirring for 5 to 6 minutes more or until it is well cooked. Add the potato, smashed it with a spatula and mix well with Tuna. Here potato will help the mixture to bind it nicely.

6. Add the chopped cilantro and  add the grated cheese to the pan. Give some good stirs and mix it well together.

7. Check seasoning, and turn off the gas. Let it cool down first, the tuna-mixture is almost ready to bake

8. Divide the mixture 8 to 10 equal balls, give them shape into round or cylindrical.

9. In a small bowl whisk the egg with 2 tbsp water and on an another flat dish spread the breadcrumbs.

10. Take a ball first dip into the egg mixture, then roll it on the breadcrumbs till it gets a nice coat of  breadcrumbs all over it. Do the same process for rest of the balls.

11. Take a baking sheet, grease it with non stick spray. Place the Tuna cutlet on it and nicely spray with non stick spray.

12. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C, bake them until they are evenly golden brown on both sides. In between check it, turn the other side and again spray lightly with non stick cooking spray. It takes approximately 5 to 7 minutes for each side to be done.

13. Serve hot with dipping sauce.


Note : Be careful while adding salt as the canned tuna is already salty, same with the souring agent. 

• If you do not like  canned Tuna fish, use any white fish of your choice ( shallow fried or boiled ) and follow the same recipe. 

Related Recipes, you may like :

Chicken Croquettes ( Bengali Style Chicken Chop )

Egg Devil ( Dim r Chop )

Fish Patties

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The Bengali Fish Fry

Off late I came across this line “only a true bong can appreciate the difference between Fish fry and Mach -bhaja” :-) This is so true. Most of the states outside Bengal generally refers Fish Fry as the steak pieces of fish marinated with salt, turmeric or something and then golden fried in hot oil. Bengali’s Mach(fish) Bhaja(Fry) is not exactly same, fried raw fish without any marination. But I think Fish Fry is more yummy than the normal “Mach Bhaja”.

In Kolkata, Fish Fry,  that is crumbed fish fillet fry was introduced at the time of British Era which was deshi form of fish and chips. It is generally served in a Bengali lunch or dinner Party and very popular as a starter. The original recipe or what we get at Kolkata by the name of Fish Fry is made with Bhetki fish. It is crunchy outside but soft, tender juicy inside which goes equally well with a cup of tea or as a snack. It is a very well known as street food too.

Here, in United States, we do not get Bhetki fish, but make Fish Fry with Swai Fish, sometimes try with Tilapia or Cat fishes fillet too. They taste equally mouthwatering like Bhetki. Both the boys of my family love to eat fish and when it is Fish Fry,  they can't stop smiling. The recipe is very easy one and not time-consuming either.   

Recipe of Fish Fry ( Kolkata Style) : for 3 people

Ingredients

1.     Fish fillet- (Skinless and boneless )  ( Swai, Tilapia ,Cat Fish or any white fish or Bhetki) 1 big fillet approximately 1lb.

2.     Lime juice - half of a lemon.

3.     salt

4.     onion - half of a small red onion

5.     ginger - 1/2 inch

6.     garlic- 2-3 cloves

7.     cilantro- half cup

8.     green chilies- 2 or as per your taste 

9.     egg- 1 

10.  bread crumbs - 1 cup

11.  oil of deep frying

Method

1.     Cut the fish fillet into rectangular pieces, wash and pat dry. Put them in a Ziploc try to flat the fishes by pressing gently with a kitchen hammer.

2.     Mix them with lime juice and salt, let the fish pieces marinate for 15 minutes. Make a fine paste with onion, ginger, garlic, green chilies and cilantro. If needed, you can add 2-3 tbsp water.

3.     Take the pieces out from the first marinate. Then again marinate them with the paste and mix them well. All of the fish pieces should be nicely coated with the marinade.

4.     Cover it and refrigerate them preferably for overnight, but If you are in hurry, one to two hour is fine too. Take the Fish pieces only, discard the excess marinate.

5.     Make the egg wash by whisking the egg with 2-3 tbsp of water to have a smooth consistency. Spread the bread crumbs on a flat surface. First dip the fish piece in the egg then roll into the bread crumbs.

6.     Make sure they are well coated with bread crumbs. If you want you can repeat the above process. It  means dip them again in the egg wash and roll in bread crumbs.

7.      Heat the oil in deep frying pan. Once it's ready, fry them one by one till they get nice brown color on the both sides. Take out them and place on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. Fish Fry is ready!! Serve hot with mustard sauce( kasundi ) and salad, preferably chopped cucumber, onion and a wedge of lime.

Related recipes, you may like :

Fish Patties

Baked Fish Cutlet

Chicken Croquette ( Chicken Chop )

Dim r Chop

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Breaded Patties :

Today I am introducing this wonderful snacks, perfect for rainy, cold weather with a cup of tea. As I was grown-up in a Bengali family, since my childhood I am seeing my mom trying so many items with fish. Whether it is snack, main or side dish. Those yummy names! Fish kachuri, fish cutlet, fish finger, fish fry and so on. But who cares about recipe in the childhood, you enjoy only the food. Time has changed now, whenever I have something that my taste buds appreciate I try to get the recipe. This is the one that I got from one of my friends.

Yes, you could guess correctly! It is the very yummy one, Fish stuffed deep-fried snacks. You can serve it as a starter or appetizer for a party. As the outer side is fried bread, it is very crispy. Kids would love it too but you need to skip the chilies for that. People who are health conscious would avoid the deep-frying part, rather bake it at oven. These days I am loving these baked snacks than the fried one. But once or twice in a month, I enjoy that crunchiness :-) 

 The recipe is extremely versatile. And it works so well with different fillings. So you can make it for vegetarian by using paneer/potato/mixed-vegetables. Or if you want to avoid fish try with chicken. 

Recipe of Fish Patties : (for 6 pieces)

Ingredients :

Bread slices - 6 
Potato (boiled) - 1 medium size 
Boneless white fish fillet - 4-5 pieces 
Onion chopped - 1 big 
Ginger paste - 1 tbsp
Garlic Paste - 2 tbsp
Tomato ( remove the outer skin and chop it ) - 1 medium size 
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chilies - as per taste
Whole spices ( cardamom - cinnamon - clove ) 
salt - as per taste
oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Boil or swallow fry the boneless fish fillets. Once they are cooked, keep them aside.

2.  Put Oil in a pan and heat it up. Add whole Spices and when the nice aroma comes out, remove them from the oil.

3.  Add chopped onion and sprinkle salt. This will help the onion to get soft very soon. 

4.  Keep stirring. Once the color of Onion changes to light brown, add ginger and garlic paste.

5.  Cook them for another 4-5 minutes till the raw smell goes off.

6.  Add chopped tomato pieces and give some good stirs until oils are coming up from the side of pan and tomato becomes soft.

7.  Add cumin powder and mix it well and cook for another couple of minutes until oil starts coming up from the sides of pan. Add chopped green chilies and cooked fish fillets. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and mix them nicely.

8.  Add boiled potato. Smash the potato and mix it with the fish mixture nicely. Add salt and check the seasoning. Turn off the gas. 

9. Stuffing is ready. Let it cool down.

10. Take the bread pieces and cut off the brown sides. Make the bread pieces flat by pressing with a rolling pin.

11.  In the middle of the bread, put 1 tbsp stuffing and fold it. First seal the two sides length-wise. Dip your finger in some water and press it. Then press the overlapped area. Use little water while pressing. It is not too hard to seal the three sides but make sure that all the sides are locked.

12.  Put oil on a deep frying pan and fry them one by one at medium heat until they are brown on both sides.Transfer them on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.

13.  Serve them with your choice of dipping sauces. 

Note:  If you don't eat fish, may use chicken in the place of fish. Vegetarian people also can try this snacks. Potato or any vegetable stuffing will go nicely with it. 

Enjoy and Happy Cooking!!

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