Beetroot kebab
Indulge in these healthy and tasty crimson colored vegan kebabs - a perfect starter to a party or a get together. I have made beet cutlets countless times, but this is the first time I made these kebabs using the same mixture.
Kebabs are usually non-vegetarian and the ones that are vegetarian are just another version of panner tikka with vegetables. But these are very different with beetroots and oat meal to bind the mixture together. Sauté the oat meal for about 5 minutes on a very low flame, grind it to a coarse powder in a blender and add to the prepared mix. If you want to spice up a little more, use the Safola masala oats instead of regular ones. The carrots and peas in the masala oats get crushed and the species give an additional kick to the kebab.
What you'll need :
3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 medium onion finely chopped 1 tsp garam masala powder (adjust as per taste) 1 tsp lemon juice 1 large boiled, peeled and grated potato 2 medium sized beetroot, peeled and grated 1/2 cup powdered oats (or powdered masala oats) Salt as per taste 1 tsp chaat masala (adjust as per taste) 1 tsp chilli powder (adjust as per taste)
How to :
Squeeze out the beetroot juice and keep aside the pulp. Do not throw away the beet juice, its very nutritious and we shall prepare some jaljeera out of it later.
Heat a non stick pan with a tbsp of oil. Add the onions and sweat until it just turns translucent. Now add the beetroot and sauté until all the mixture is almost dry and there is no water content left. Turn off the heat and allow to cool. Once the mixture cools, add the grated potatoes, garam masala, lemon juice, powdered oats, chaat masala, chilli powder and salt. Add some resins to this if you wish. If you want to make the usual cutlets, just take a handful of the mixture, press into the desired shape and, coat with bread crumbs and shallow fry with little oil.
If you are making kebabs, preheat the oven to 180 degrees or the outdoor grill to medium heat. Soak the wooden skewers, in water a day before, so that the sticks don't burn in the oven or grill. Form a ball around the tip of a skewer, flattening into a 2 inch oval; repeat with the remaining skewers.
Lay a greased aluminium foil over the grill and place the kebabs. Brush lightly with oil and allow to bake for 20 - 25 minutes or around 6 minutes on medium heat on a grill. Turn the kebabs once or twice while baking.
Beetroot jaljeera is just a way to use the beet juice. Just add 1 tbsp jaljeera powder, pinch of salt and lemon, all the squeezed out beet juice to a big glass of soda and stir well. Add sugar if you wish.
