Although kebabs were thought to have originated in the Middle East, they are popular everywhere these days and India is no exception. Kebabs were first introduced into India around the 16th century by the Mughals. Since then, India has developed many unique and creative kebab dishes of their own using traditional Indian spices and marinating techniques.

In India, kebabs are made in a large clay oven known as a tandoor. Tandoor ovens are able to heat foods to extremely high temperatures (1000 deg F). The trick to keeping the meat or poultry juicy and succulent is marinating it in yogurt.

Traditionally, kebabs are skewered meats or vegetables cooked on a grill or even under the oven broiler. But these days, kebabs can be made using paneer, chicken, seafood or even fruit. Indian kebabs are delicious, healthy and very easy to prepare. These are a few of my favorite kebab recipes; I hope you will enjoy them. I have also included a recipe for Cilantro Chutney but feel free to use your favorite chutney or sauce as an accompaniment.


VEGETABLE OR PANEER KEBABS:

Ingredients

8 ozs of paneer cubes (either home made or store bought), approximately 1 to 1.5 inches in size
assorted vegetables such as colorful bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini…
½ cup plain yogurt (non fat yogurt is fine)
2 cups freshly packed cilantro leaves
2-3 small Thai green chilies, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
juice of ½ a lime
2-3 tbsp oil (vegetable or canola)
water (if needed)
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly chopped cilantro leaves for garnish
lemon or lime wedges, for garnish
metal or wooden skewers (optional)

METHOD:

If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients (except the chopped cilantro leaves) and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes.

Shake off any excess marinade and carefully thread the skewers leaving a little space in between pieces. Grill the kebabs on an outdoor barbeque grill or an indoor grill pan until done. You can also use an oven, just preheat to 350 deg F and place the skewers on a foil lined baking sheet for 5-6 minutes until cooked. Garnish and serve with fresh naans and jeera rice.

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CILANTRO CHUTNEY

Yields 1 cup

Ingredients:

2 cups freshly packed cilantro leaves
2-3 small Thai green chilies, roughly chopped
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
juice of ½ a lime
water (if needed)
salt to taste

METHOD:

In a blender, blend all of the ingredients until smooth. You may need to add a little water to help the blending process. Refrigerate and use immediately. The chutney will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

VARIATIONS:

You can substitute mint leaves for the cilantro leaves or use a combination of both mint and cilantro. For a slightly tart taste, add a few pieces of green apple for a refreshing twist.