Ralph
05-27-2002, 07:41 PM
And as I thought about posting this thread, I seem to remember that I made a lot of kebabs on the grill last summer, too!
Anyhow, these also came from The Barbecue Bible. While not as good as last week's lamb kebabs, these were also quite good. The only problem I had was that the mixture didn't want to stay on the skewers, so they didn't come out quite as they should have. I chose to mix the ingredients in a bowl, rather than use the food processor - that may have made the difference. Served them with warmed pitas and a raita with chopped cucumber & tomato mixed with drained yogurt spiced with toasted cumin, salt, & pepper.
Indian Spinach-Cheese Kebabs
These handsome green kebabs are a specialty of the restaurant Peshawar at the Sheraton Rajputana Hotel in Jaipur. Peshawar is a town on the Indian Pakistan border and a bastion of meat eating if ever there was one. But so deeply ingrained is vegetarianism in India that even grill restaurants like Peshawar offer interesting vegetarian barbecue. The recipe may look complicated because of the number of ingredients, but actually it's quite easy and definitely worth the effort. The interplay of flavors-the sweetness of the nuts and spinach, the saltiness of the cheese, the exotic exuberance of the seasonings-conspires to make this a dish that will delight vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Salt, to taste
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed and stemmed, or a 10-ounce package frozen spinach (I used fresh.)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts (pistachios, cashews, and/or almonds) (I used pistachios only.)
1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan) or whole-wheat flour (I used whole-wheat.)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
2/3 cup crumbled farmer's cheese, pot cheese, or dry-curd cottage cheese (I used farmer's cheese.)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup grated Gouda or mild Cheddar cheese (I used Gouda.)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon golden raisins, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tablspoons unsalted butter, melted
1. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a large pot, add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. (If using frozen spinach, follow package instructions.) Drain the spinach in a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Squeeze fistfuls of spinach in your hands to wring out as much water as possible. Finely chop the spinach in the food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, leave the spinach in the processor bowl; if by hand, transfer to a bowl. You should have about 3/4 cup spinach.
2. Heat the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool. Add the chickpea flour to the skillet and heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpea flour to the spinach. Add the garam masala, cumin,
fenugreek (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the skillet and cook until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the spices to the spinach.
3. Add the farmer's cheese to the spinach and process to make a coarse paste or stir to blend. Add the cornstarch, Gouda, cilantro, raisins, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and nuts and pulse or stir just to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding lemon juice, salt, or cayenne as needed; the mixture should be highly seasoned. You can form the kebabs now, but the mixture will be easier to work with if you
refrigerate it, covered, for 3 hours.
4. Oil 4 long, flat metal skewers. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly wet your hands with cold water and mold 1 portion onto a skewer to make a sausage shape 9 to 10 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Continue making kebabs until the spinach mixture is used up. If making up the kebabs ahead of time, lay them on oiled baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
5. If desired, set up the grill for grateless grilling. Preheat the grill to high.
6. When ready to cook, lightly brush each kebab with melted butter and arrange them on the grill. Grill, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes in all. Brush with butter again.
7. Use a piece of naan, pita bread, or lavash as a pot holder and unmold the kebabs onto serving plates or a platter. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and a platter of sliced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and chile peppers.
Serves 4
Anyhow, these also came from The Barbecue Bible. While not as good as last week's lamb kebabs, these were also quite good. The only problem I had was that the mixture didn't want to stay on the skewers, so they didn't come out quite as they should have. I chose to mix the ingredients in a bowl, rather than use the food processor - that may have made the difference. Served them with warmed pitas and a raita with chopped cucumber & tomato mixed with drained yogurt spiced with toasted cumin, salt, & pepper.
Indian Spinach-Cheese Kebabs
These handsome green kebabs are a specialty of the restaurant Peshawar at the Sheraton Rajputana Hotel in Jaipur. Peshawar is a town on the Indian Pakistan border and a bastion of meat eating if ever there was one. But so deeply ingrained is vegetarianism in India that even grill restaurants like Peshawar offer interesting vegetarian barbecue. The recipe may look complicated because of the number of ingredients, but actually it's quite easy and definitely worth the effort. The interplay of flavors-the sweetness of the nuts and spinach, the saltiness of the cheese, the exotic exuberance of the seasonings-conspires to make this a dish that will delight vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Salt, to taste
10 ounces fresh spinach, rinsed and stemmed, or a 10-ounce package frozen spinach (I used fresh.)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed nuts (pistachios, cashews, and/or almonds) (I used pistachios only.)
1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan) or whole-wheat flour (I used whole-wheat.)
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
2/3 cup crumbled farmer's cheese, pot cheese, or dry-curd cottage cheese (I used farmer's cheese.)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup grated Gouda or mild Cheddar cheese (I used Gouda.)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon golden raisins, coarsely chopped (optional)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
2 tablspoons unsalted butter, melted
1. Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a large pot, add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spinach and cook until wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. (If using frozen spinach, follow package instructions.) Drain the spinach in a colander, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Squeeze fistfuls of spinach in your hands to wring out as much water as possible. Finely chop the spinach in the food processor or by hand. If using a food processor, leave the spinach in the processor bowl; if by hand, transfer to a bowl. You should have about 3/4 cup spinach.
2. Heat the nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool. Add the chickpea flour to the skillet and heat until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpea flour to the spinach. Add the garam masala, cumin,
fenugreek (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the skillet and cook until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Add the spices to the spinach.
3. Add the farmer's cheese to the spinach and process to make a coarse paste or stir to blend. Add the cornstarch, Gouda, cilantro, raisins, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and nuts and pulse or stir just to mix. Taste for seasoning, adding lemon juice, salt, or cayenne as needed; the mixture should be highly seasoned. You can form the kebabs now, but the mixture will be easier to work with if you
refrigerate it, covered, for 3 hours.
4. Oil 4 long, flat metal skewers. Divide the spinach mixture into 4 equal portions. Lightly wet your hands with cold water and mold 1 portion onto a skewer to make a sausage shape 9 to 10 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. Continue making kebabs until the spinach mixture is used up. If making up the kebabs ahead of time, lay them on oiled baking sheets and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
5. If desired, set up the grill for grateless grilling. Preheat the grill to high.
6. When ready to cook, lightly brush each kebab with melted butter and arrange them on the grill. Grill, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on all sides, about 8 minutes in all. Brush with butter again.
7. Use a piece of naan, pita bread, or lavash as a pot holder and unmold the kebabs onto serving plates or a platter. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing and a platter of sliced onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and chile peppers.
Serves 4