Kebab – no matter what they are made of are always delicious to me. I love the smoky aroma of charcoal. The smell that transcend subtly into the food. Summer is here so is the time to grill. It’s been a busy summer for us as we have been visiting different beaches and parks. We spend the weekend eating delicious meals and spending quality time with kids. My husband wear’s his chef hat to grill and I sit back with a glass of super chilled margarita. We have made kebabs with panner , tofu, chicken, lamb that I just can’t resist when served piping hot with mint chutney and refreshing cucumber raita.
Last week we went to Stinson’s Beach at Marin County with ours friends. With a simple yogurt marinade, I created a burst of flavor in every bite. The use of simple Indian spices add a subtle yet exotic flavor to the kebab. I love colors and I used all the possible vegetable to brighten up my plate. I added chunks of red & yellow bell peppers and robust green zucchinis. I drew inspiration from the street food I have eaten in the lanes of Mumbai and tucked the lightly charred kebab into a spinach-whole wheat tortilla and topped it with homemade red onion pickle and raita. It was briefly grilled to make it crisp. Paneer Kebab with Vegetables are a great vegetarian option for your friends and family at a summer BBQ. I served the wrap with lychee mint cooler.
You can also packed this for lunch. Just warm it up little in a microwave before eating.
Paneer-Vegetable Kebab
Cooking Level: Medium
Serves: A family of four
Recipe Source: Self
Ingredients
- 1 -14oz Paneer Packet, cubed large enough to slide into a bamboo skewer ( see images for reference)
- 1 large red bell pepper, halved and quartered
- 1 large yellow bell pepper, halved and quartered
- 1 large red onion, halved and quartered
- 2 medium size long zucchini, cut into roundels
For the marinade:
- 1 cup thick yogurt (remove excess water by placing it in a muslin cloth)
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt to taste
Bamboo Skewers, about 10 – soaked in water for minimum 2 hours
Directions
- In a clean bowl, mix all the ingredients listed under marinade. Whisk well to combine.
- Make sure to chop all the vegetables and paneer about the same size. Add the marinade to paneer and vegetables. Using your fingers, gently coat the vegetables an paneer with the marinade. Cover and let it chill for 6-8 hours.
- Using one skewer at a time, start piercing paneer, bell pepper, zucchini and onion and paneer. You can go in any order you want but make sure to add atleast 2-3 paneer per skewer.
- Grill the skewers under a hot grill gently browning or lightly charring around edges. Remove and assemble.
Red Onion Pickle
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
Direction
- Mix them all together and store in fridge for 8 hours.
Cucumber Raita
Ingredients
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 cup thick yogurt
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin powder
- Salt and Pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon each
Directions
- Remove the cucumber skin and grate them.
- Mix the yogurt, cumin powder, salt, pepper and grated cucumber. Chill it for minimum 1-2 hours.
STEPS TO ASSEMBLE THEM INTO A WRAP
-
I used store bought spinach whole wheat tortilla. Make sure to use tortillas that has 20-22centri meter diameter. The larger the better.
- Place the kebab, top it with red onion pickle, cucumber raita and mint or apricot or any store bought chutney. Recipe for sweet-spicy apricot chutney is here.
