Every barbeque season, I look forward to making some wonderful kebabs. May it be ground bean mix, potato patties etc the slight char gives the perfect summer feel. This spicy mix has never failed to tantalise the tastebuds or impress the guests.
Originating with cooking meat on an open fire, the kebabs came with the Persian traders to the Indian subcontinent. This was the popular way of eating the hunted animals. ‘Kebaba’ means to char that gives kebab its name. Sheek is the rods or the skewers. So the minced ingredients wrapped around the skewer became sheek kebabs.
Keep that seasoning coming.
The main ingredients in these baked kebabs are vegetables and potatoes, the seasoning is the one that transforms this mix to spicy lip-smacking sheek kebab. In this recipe, the spice mix is
The chaat masala with the red chillies, garlic and ginger paste makes sure that you reach for a few. So double or triple the recipe as you please.
Prevent it from falling apart
The toasted chickpea flour and the sift mashed potatoes hold the mix together. The other vegetables that you add have to be minced fine too. You can alternatively coarse grind the vegetable mix to add.
The vegetable sheek kebabs are ideal for thicker skewers. I did not have any so used these. This also helps in holding the shape.
Make sure the mix is not too dry or too wet. What you are looking for is a pliable dough texture.
Grilling or baking?
Grilling- For time immemorial grilling us the best way to cook the vegetable sheek kebab. The slight char and the grill marks make it appetizingly pleasing. Fire up the grill brush it with oil and place the kebabs. Flip them when they are slightly charred on one side.
Baking -The second-best way to get a large batch done is baking. Baked kebabs are juicy and succulent. The baked kebabs are the best to meal prep and freeze as well. This is the method described in the recipe card below
Look beyond the two methods. The sheek kebabs can be easily pan-fried or air fried.
Air fry -Lightly brush oil on the prepared vegetable kebabs. Place the kebabs as a single layer with ample space in between. Air fry at 400 degrees F for 15 to 17 minutes ( slight adjustments may be needed based on the model)
Pan fry -lightly coat the pan with a bit of oil and fry the prepared kebabs on medium heat. Don’t forget to turn them around.
Whatever method you choose, don’t miss soaking the bamboo skewers ahead as you don’t want them to burn.
Baked Sheek Kebab
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp chickpea flour ( roasted)
- 8-10 cashew nuts
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/4 tsp fresh ginger root grated
- 1/4 tsp garlic minced
- 1 small green chilli chopped fine.
- 1/4 cup carrots ( grated)
- 1/4 cup green beans. ( finely minced)
- 1/4 cup cauliflower ( grated)
- 1/4 tsp dry mint
- 1.5 cups potato ( boiled, peeled and grated)
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp red chilli powder ( I used Kashmiri chilli powder)
- 1 tsp chhat masala
- 1/2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
To serve
- 1 cup green chutney
- Onion salad
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes (Approximately 2-3 medium ones), let them cool.
- Peel and grate the potatoes and set it aside.
- Grate the carrots, ginger, garlic and cauliflower, finely chop the beans and set it aside.
- On a dry pan, roast the chickpea flour ( besan / Kadala maav) and set aside.
- Roast the cashews too and add it to the chick peas flour.
- Allow them to cool and powder them together into a fine mix.
- Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.
- Heat up a frying pan, add the oil and cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Now add the ginger garlic, followed by the grated veggies and chopped beans.
- Let the saute and soften, then add the salt, red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, chaat masala and coriander powder.
- Mix this well and let them cook with continious mixing.
- When the water content looks well evaporated and the mix is dry, add the grated potatoes and give it a good mix.
- At this point, the mix is reasonably sticky.
- Add the roasted cashewnut and cumin powder to this. Mix and set aside to cool.
- When warm and easier to handle. make small balls of the mix.
- Press down a skewer into each ball and flatten the kebab mix to form about an 1.5 cm thick layer around the skewer.
- Place these prepared skewers on a greased sheet pan.
- Place the sheet pan in the preheated oven.
- The total time is about 30 minutes, at about 15 minutes, turn the kebabs around do the crisp up evenly.
- Brush with oil at 15 minutes mark and you turn them around to give the shiny roasted exterior.
- Remove the kebabs from the oven after cooking and let them cool for a few minutes.
- Place the kebabs to serve on a platter with onion salad and green chutney.
Notes
Adding the onions
In this recipe, we have avoided the onions as they make the dough harder to handle. If you like to add onions, the best suggestion will be to use, caramelised ones made into a paste or crispy fried ones that are powdered.How to put sheek kebab together as a meal?
On the stick kebabs make it easy to eat on the go, no cutlery needed. Yet if I am putting a platter together for friends and family here is my sought out combo.
Layer the platter with jackfruit biriyani (or another type you like) lay the sheek kebabs on top of this and line it up with laccha pyaaz salad. On the side keep some soothing cucumber raita.
As wrap and go or for an outdoor picnic, use thick chutney on a plain paratha place the baked sheek kebab on top add a few salad veggies if you like, roll it up like a burrito and eat on the go.
Meal prep and storing the kebabs
The sheek kebabs are no doubt flavourful and exciting on any weekday. The primary work involved is mincing and making the skewer. The prepped skewers stay well in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Rather, I will make a whole batch and store the cooked ones. To freeze choose half cooked ones. Give the sheek kebabs a quick pan fry (thaw first) before eating and that keeps the succulent feel and the flavour intact.
Making the sheek kebab was not a natural process for me. With the support of my partner, Sujata, who has suggested this fantastic learning opportunity through Shh cooking secretly blogger group, I attempted it a couple of times before i worked out the correct proportion. We had dry ones, hopelessly falling off ones, grilled and burnt ones before we fixed on this succulent one. Sujata, has an inspiring blog with multiple rosagulla recipe ( I am yet to try them). She has also made a Veg Gauloti Lentil Kebab for this season.
Enjoy making some of these delicious vegetable sheek kebabs. When you do let us know how you like it. Share your experience in the comments. Tag us with your food pics #mildlyindian or @mildlyindian. You could Pin the recipe to your board directly from the recipe card to revive it anytime you need. Hope you like it and stay on with us for more.
loving the seekh kebab as well as the meal plan idea with the lachcha pyaaz Seema. right up our alley to make this in the forthcoming days.
Perfect seekh kababs for vegetarians. You have made them so healthy by baking them. Would love to have with some mint chutney and onion kachumber.
These Veg Sheekh Kababs would light up any dinner table. Loved the way you have explained all the cooking options and meal plan ideas. Makes it a lot easier for anyone trying out the recipe.
Seekh Kabab looks superbly delicious. Such a healthy treat for everyone. Loved the use of roasted cashew nuts with chickpea flour for binding. Roasted cashew nuts will definitely give a wonderful taste. Can’t wait to try.
This vegetarian kebab looks so perfect, no non-vegetarian will guess that it’s all veg. I am bookmarking your recipe Seema to try it next barbeque season
I seriously need to muster up some more patience to make kebabs on a skewer. They look so presentable and inviting. Like how falloff veggies your vegetable she kebabs are. Also the different ways one can cook them. Summer is nearly over for us but like the suggestion of pan fried or baked.
We love vegetable kebabs. I like your baked version with cashews for the nutty flavor and crunch. Your serving suggestion of vegetable seekh kebabs over the layered jackfruit Biryani and lachha pyaaz makes me drool
Baked vegetable Sheek kebabs looks super tempting. Loved the way you added veggies and you baked these kebabs. Perfect for parties, surely everyone will enjoy these kebabs.
How nicely you have explained all the methods to cook these soft and succulent kebabs.. I am surely going to try these nutritious kebabs in air fryer and will let you know.
I love this vegetarian version of seekh kabab! Looks absolutely delicious and melt-in-the-mouth. The idea of using cashews here is interesting, as is that of adding in mixed vegetables. 🙂 Would love to try this out some time…
This vegetable sheek kababs looks so delicious. I like the way you have incorporated so many vegetables along with potatoes. Would definitely love to try this recipe.
I love veg seekh kebabs and its been a long time I made them. Would love to try this one Seema. Lovely click.
Veg Seekh Kebabs looks irresistible. Adding roasted cashews sounds brilliant.Such a delicious and healthy snack.
Baked Sheek Kebab sounds awesome !!! Roasted cashew nuts seem like a lovely idea. Must be giving a nice taste to the kebabbs….
Yum yum yummy seekh kababs . Love how you have detailed the recipe and made the process a breeze . I always had a fear of making seekh kababs as I felt the mixture will fall off the skewer and won’t get cooked..your recipe is now bookmarked for my reference
Wow veg seekh kebabs with lots of vegetables I am tu loving this. I must say your kebabs looks so delicious I wish I can have some.
Veg sheekh kabab looks so delicious exactly the way how we get in restaurants. with green chutney on the side, this is the perfect treat for parties.