Bread Fruit Seekh Kebab

Seekh Kebab as they call it here in India or Satay in the Orient, is a minced meat preparation, delicious baked sausage like starter snack, which has won my heart many years ago. Be it lamb seekh, chicken seekh or simple vegetable seekh, I love them all. Having tried many middle grade and star hotels over the years, I found Windsor Manor Bangalore the best when it came to kebabs. They had perfected the art of cooking way back in the early Eighties when Windsor Manor opened on Sankey Road Bangalore, started by ITC Welcome Group.

Of course Moti Mahal in Mangalore made fantastic Vegetable Seekh in the mid Eighties when I was a regular there with my vegetarian friend Mahaveer. Whenever I ate out with Mahaveer, I made it a point to share vegetable delicacies with him. Vegetable Seekh Kebab in Moti Mahal was a cut above the rest, with added cashew bits. I can still recall the taste when I think about that!

Bread Fruit as usual, is a great vegetable that can be adapted to make exotic preparations. I have tried over half a dozen different items over the last Two or more months, and as a fitting finale to the huge Bread Fruits given by my friend Manjeshwar Madhav Bhat recently, I decided to make seekh kebab with the last remaining piece.

Then my worry was, whether I should follow any online recipe or my own. I told Meena to make Chana Daal paste by soaking it and grinding in the mixer. Chana daal paste is the base for Lucknowi Nawabi Kebabs as seen in recipe books and on TV in the past. Then my logic was applied for choosing the other ingredients. I did peek into the video by Chef Harpal on youtube showing us how to make vegetable seekh kebab. He has a totally different recipe than the one formulated by me, but he gave a good tip on how to use bamboo skewers. He stressed that bamboo skewers should be soaked in water before using. This is perhaps with a view that the kebab dough sticks to the bamboo skewer well that way. Adding butter and bread crumbs help in binding the seekh.

Please go through the recipe for which I have not shown step by step pictures but the procedure is very easy and almost like child's play, as you go about it! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and make this before the Bread Fruit season ends! Before you eat them be sure to make mint and curd chutney, recipe for which can be found here: http://www.tarladalal.com/Dahiwali-Phudina-ki-Chutney-37264r

Ingredients:
Bread Fruit - 150 Gms(skin shaved off and core removed) chopped fine
Chana Daal(Chickpea lentil) - 2 Tbsp
Tiny Cashew Bits - A handful
Green Chilli - 1 chopped fine
Ginger - 1/2" piece chopped fine
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/4 Tsp
Brown Onion Paste - 1 Tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Lemon - 1/4
Bread Crumbs(Or powdered rusk/toast) - 2 Tbsp
Salt - To taste
Coriander Leaves - 2 sprigs chopped finely
Butter - 1 Tsp
White Sesame Seeds(Optional) - 1 Tbsp
Melted Ghee - 1 Tsp + for basting
Oil - For dipping your fingers

Method:
Soak bamboo skewers for 10 minutes in water, and then remove and keep aside.
Soak chana daal for 3-4 hours and grind into a fine paste with very littlwe water.
Heat 1 Tsp ghee in a pan and fry cashew bits, chopped green chillies, ginger, brown onion paste and ginger garlic paste for 1 minute.
Add chana daal paste and fry for 2 minutes.
Add chopped bread fruit and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt.
Mix well and fry for a minute.
Squeeze in lemon.
Add 30 ml water, cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Open the lid, add bread crumbs and sauté well till the mass becomes dry.
Now check for salt and add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
Allow to cool down completely.
Add butter and knead the dough well.
Make six equal size balls with the dough.
Dip your fingers in oil, take a ball of the dough, flatten it and shape it into a seekh(satay) around the bamboo skewer.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds and press each seekh with your fingers to leave the mark.
Keep the seekh rolls in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
Set the oven on baking mode at 180° C and preheat for 10 minutes.
Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and grease it with ghee
Place the skewers on it and bake for 10 minutes at 180°C.
Baste with ghee and turn over the skewers to bake the seekh for another 10 minutes.
Baste again with ghee and turn over to bake till done.
The whole baking process should take little over 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the seekh roll from the skewers and cut into 4-5 equal size slices.
Serve hot with mint curd chutney and choice of salad.