Pan grilled to perfection

Pushpesh Pant

Kachche Kele Ki Tikiya

We owe this to our beloved Mother’s collection. Herself a vegetarian, she gladly cooked non-vegetarian delicacies for the family and friends. But what she really excelled at was surprising guests with offerings inspired by a ‘meaty’ classic, resisting the temptation to mimic it either in looks or in spicing. She preferred to call her preparations, the shami or seekampoori kebab, tikiya; these would be fashioned from jackfruit, yam or raw bananas. She always pan grilled the patties patiently and with very little ghee. Do try this recipe that leaves enough scope for you to indulge in creative improvisation to imprint it with your signature. Excellent teatime snack!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Raw bananas (unripe) 6

Garam masala 1 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder 1/2 tsp

Black rock salt 1/8 tsp

Pomegranate seeds (dried, powdered) 1 tsp

Sonth/dried ginger (powdered) 1 tsp

Saunf powder 1 tsp to pan grill

Green chillies 2 chopped)

Aampapad (chopped) 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Ghee to pan grill

Method:

Boil the bananas and peal. The fruit should be cooked but not mushy. Mash well and mix with garam masala and other powdered spices along with rock salt. Roll into small balls; flatten by pressing between moistened palms. Make a hole in the middle and place a small filling of aampapad and green chillies. Roll back into a small sphere and press to shape as a small thick patty. Line a non-stick pan with melted ghee and carefully pan grill the tikiya till a crisp brown layer is formed on the exterior. Turn gently with a flat wooden spatula. Garnish with a few chilli flakes on top. Serve hot with a wedge of lime if you like, but resist the temptation to pair with sauce or chutney. These tend to overpower the tikiya and drown its delicate flavour.