Aloo Shami Kebab

Ingredients

Potatoes: 4-5

Chana dal: 1 cup

Garlic: 12 cloves

Cumin: 1 tsp

Black pepper: 1 tsp

Dry red chili: 10-12

Black cardamom: 1

Green cardamom: 3-4

Clove: 3-4

Cinnamon: 1 inch piece

Coriander leaves: 2-3 tsp

Onion: 2 tsp, finely chopped

Green chili: 1tsp

Lemon juice: 1 tsp

Saffron: A few strands

Sweet kewra: A few drops

Salt: As per taste

Method

Peel, wash and boil potatoes with chana dal, garlic, cumin, black pepper, dry red chili, black cardamom, green cardamom, salt, clove and cinnamon, together until chana dal becomes soft but not placid. The water level over the ingredients should be only 1 inch above the ingredients. Grind the cooked ingredients without adding any water. Check salt at this stage. Then add chopped green chili, chopped onion, chopped coriander leaves, kewra, saffron and lemon juice to the paste. Make small balls and flatten between your hands like an aloo tikki. Heat oil in frying pan and shallow fry kebabs till golden brown and serve with pudina chutney.

Note: If the paste becomes too soft, you can add some roasted gram flour as a binding agent.

Tadka Raita

Ingredients

Yogurt: 1 cup

Salt: As per taste

Green chili: 1

Mint leaves: 1 cup

Curry leaves: 2-3 strands

Cumin seeds: 1 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add curry leaves and green chili and sauté till they are crisp and remove from fire. Add it to the yogurt and check for salt. Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve chill.