Mushrooming into delicious kebabs

Pushpesh Pant

Kebabs are a quintessential classy snack — elegant morsels of either meat or vegetables with meaty texture that can be served at any time. They can be served as starters or wrapped in a roti to make a light meal on the run. They can be roasted on a skewer or pan grilled like a patty. Some varieties are cooked on a griddle or in a handi. Arguably, the most popular kebab is shami that many people assume is associated with an evening spent in revelry (‘sham’ being the Hindustani word for evening). Rhyming words sharab (alcohol), shabab (beauty) and nawab (hedonist princes, often decadent) have garnished its reputation with some element of rakish notoriety. Historians tell us that it came here from the province of Shams (Levant) in the Middle-East and hence the name.

Many a gifted chef has tried to improvise on the shami theme and one must admit that some vegetarian creations are really amazing. However, the jaded palate pines for something different from the run-of-the-mill hara-bhara, daal ka or dahi ka kebab. We share one such recipe with our readers this time.

To our mind, mushroom mince beats all other vegetarian minces or ground mixtures — raw banana, jackfruit or yam — by a long shot. Chickpeas contribute body and help in binding. One does not need to tell that they add to the nutritional content as well. We suggest that you resist the temptation to pair these kebabs with a pungent chutney or sauce. The delicate taste of mushrooms should be allowed to shine through.

Khumb ke shami

Ingredients

• Button mushrooms 200 g
• Shitake mushrooms (dried) 50 g
• Chickpeas 100 g
• (soaked in water overnight, pressure
• cooked for 15 minutes and mashed)
• Potato 1
• (medium-sized, boiled, peeled and mashed)
• Breadcrumbs 2 tbsp
• Butter 1 tsp
• Green chillies 2
• (deseeded and chopped fine)
• Black peppercorns 1/2 tsp
• (coarsely pounded)
• Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
• Clove powder 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1/3 tsp
• Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp
• Coriander 1/2 tsp
• Dried mint leaves 1 tsp
• Oil for pan grilling
• Salt to taste
• Lemon (cut into wedges) 1

Method

• Wipe clean the mushrooms with a moist cloth, soak in salt water for 10 minutes or blanch in boiling water for a minute and then refresh in chilled water. You may sauté these for a minute and then chop into a fine mince. Place all the ingredients for the kebab in a large bowl: mashed potatoes, chickpeas, minced mushrooms, all the powdered spices, garlic-ginger paste, chopped green chillies along with salt and butter. Mix well to blend. Divide into equal portions, shaping into round balls. Then press between moistened palms to form slightly thick flat-round patties.
• Spread the breadcrumbs on a platter. Then place the kebabs on it to drape them with a thin coating of breadcrumbs on both sides.
• Line a non-stick pan with a thin film of oil and grill the kebabs in batches on medium heat till they acquire a crisp golden surface — about 1.5 to 2 minutes. Turn gently to grill evenly on the other side.

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