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6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:28:42 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Almost every culture seems to have its own version of grilled meat on flatbread: Mexican tacos al pastor, Lebanese shawarma, Greek gyros, Turkish doner kebabs, Persian shish kebabs—and my personal favorite—Indian seekh kebabs.

Most Indian restaurants pay homage to the food once served on the tables of the Mughal emperors. Cooked in ghee and redolent with aromatic spices, ubiquitous staples from tandoori chicken and butter chicken to saag paneer and rogan josh all owe their roots to Mughal high cuisine. But those dishes don’t tell the full story of the culinary influence of the Mughals. An equally important legacy is found in the streets and alleyways of almost every city in India. From Delhi to Calcutta, kebabwallas ply their trade, cooking skewers of marinated meats over glowing sigris (charcoal-fueled open-fire grills) and serving them on parathas—usually with a squeeze of lime and a few slivers of onions fragrant with chaat masala.

These late-night street grills were the inspiration behind my Botiwalla restaurants in Atlanta—and the menu below. Mix and match the skewers and sides for the ultimate cookout, starting with the iconic seekh kebab, a skewer of spiced minced meat—and the gold standard of kebabs in India. With a large enough grill, you can cook lamb in one corner, chicken in another, and still make room for fish and vegetables. You can also do as the SAVEUR test kitchen did and pull off the whole menu indoors: simply break out your grill pans and get those burners going.

The Menu

Lamb Seekh Kebabs

My riff on this beloved classic starts with ground lamb and dials back the heat and Indian spices—flavoring the meat with just a pinch each of turmeric, ground coriander, and Kashmiri chile powder. Then I bump up the cilantro, garlic, and ginger, and add lots of fresh mint to brighten the dish. The trick is to grill hot and fast so that the meat is smoky and charred on the outside, and tender, juicy, and almost delicate on the inside. Serve as a kebab with naan, lime wedges, and chutney; or form the meat into a skinny burger instead, and sandwich between pav, the soft, sweet Indian rolls, along with a cabbage slaw and Maggi ketchup. Get the recipe >

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Chicken Tikka Kebabs

Chicken tikka is the sweet and sour pork or the beef and broccoli of Indian cuisine. The O.G. bastardized North Indian export has launched thousands of curry houses in the U.K. and U.S. This version calls for treating chunks of boneless chicken breast (you can also use thighs for even juicier results) with a dry rub and a wet marinade. The dry rub is super simple—just Kashmiri chile powder, turmeric, and salt—while the wet marinade is the perfect balance of yogurt, lime, and spices. Thread the double-infused chicken onto skewers, and again grill hot and fast, turning frequently to avoid over-charring. One bite of the smoky-spicy-juicy end result, and you’ll never again want to pony up for the dry, flavorless, and dyed-red chicken under the buffet heat lamps that’s trying to pass itself off as “chicken tikka.” Get the recipe >

Paneer Tikka Kebabs

Yes, you can grill cheese on a grill! Well, the right kind of cheese. Here, bite-sized chunks of paneer, a dense, pressed fresh cheese, is marinated in a gingery herbed yogurt and grilled with sweet, colorful bell peppers and onions. Get the recipe >

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Machli Kebabs

While most fish in India is fried—I don’t think I’ve ever seen it grilled—this recipe inspired by my Persian ancestry rocks on the grill. Start with a firm, chunky fillet—swordfish is my go-to—and a bright, slightly sweet marinade of fresh mint, cumin, lime, and garlic. Baste with plenty of ghee on the grill, then garnish with fresh dill and dried sumac. Get the recipe >

Kachumber

A Hindi word for “chopped up into small pieces,” kachumber is also known as Parsi salad. It was served with pretty much every meal I had growing up in India. The first time I went to a Persian restaurant, I saw an almost identical dish called “salad Shirazi,” which made sense once I looked up the history: The Parsis immigrated to India from a region of Persia known as Pars, of which Shiraz is the capital. With just four main ingredients—cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, and fresh herbs—the slaw-like salad couldn’t be simpler. Get the recipe >

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Grilled Corn Bhel

Bhel is the closest that many Indians will come to eating some type of salad. We traditionally don’t eat a lot of fresh leafy greens. Our greens tend to be dark and fibrous (think mustard greens instead of baby spinach) and lend better to stewing instead of salads. Typically served by street vendors, bhel is a “salad” of puffed rice, crispy chickpea noodles, wheat crackers (puris), chiles, onions, cilantro, peanuts, and potatoes dressed with chutney and the occasional dollop of cold sweetened yogurt. My bhel-inspired corn salad keeps the crunch factor with homemade corn poha (you can substitute store-bought corn flakes) and adds grilled corn kernels, cucumbers, tomatoes, herbs, and a three-minute cumin-lime vinaigrette. Get the recipe >

The post 6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors appeared first on Saveur.

Grilled Swordfish Kebabs

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:16:06 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Chef Meherwan Irani of Chai Pani Restaurant Group likes using swordfish for these machli kebabs, but any firm white fish will work beautifully with the bright, herbaceous marinade. Leave some space between the fish on the skewers—this will ensure that each piece is heated from all sides and cooks evenly. Serve with saffron rice and kachumber, or with naan, fresh herbs, and thinly sliced onions.

Featured in “6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors.”

Yield: 6

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the marinade:

¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more as needed
Pinch roasted ground cumin
20 fresh mint leaves
2 medium garlic cloves
1 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil

For the kebabs:

2 lb. swordfish steaks (or another firm white fish), skinned and cut into 1½-in. chunks
¼ cup coarsely chopped dill, for garnish
Ground sumac, for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Instructions

Make the marinade: To a blender, add the lime juice, sugar, salt, roasted cumin, mint, and garlic and pulse until smooth. (Add 1–2 tablespoons of water if needed to help all the ingredients come together.) With the machine running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil until completely incorporated. Transfer ⅓ cup of the marinade to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate. Reserve the remaining marinade.
Make the kebabs: To a large bowl, add the fish and season lightly with salt. Pour the remaining marinade over the fish and toss well to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. (Do not marinate longer than 30 minutes, or the lime juice will begin to “cook” the fish.)
Meanwhile, soak ten 8-inch bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high (about 450°F). (Alternatively, heat a grill pan to high.) Drain the skewers and shake off any excess water. Thread 3–4 chunks of fish onto each skewer, leaving a slight gap between each chunk.
Transfer the kebabs to the grill and cook with the grill open until lightly charred on one side, 2–3 minutes. Using a fish or grilling spatula, loosen and flip the kebabs. (If the fish is sticking, give it another minute or so. It should release easily once it’s fully cooked on one side.) Continue cooking until the opposite side is lightly charred and the fish is cooked through, 2–3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, drizzle the remaining marinade on top, and garnish with dill, sumac, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot or at room temperature.

The post Grilled Swordfish Kebabs appeared first on Saveur.

Grilled Corn Bhel

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:19:21 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

In Chai Pani Restaurant Group chef-owner Meherwan Irani’s take on the Indian street-food dish bhel, grilled sweet corn is tossed with a zesty cumin-lime dressing and crunchy corn poha, a popular puffed corn snack. Irani likes to fry his own corn poha, but store-bought unsweetened corn flakes also make an excellent substitute.

All of the ingredients can be prepared in advance, but for the brightest flavor, wait until just before serving to mix in the dressing. Leaving some of the husk on the corn will prevent the kernels from drying out; if purchased pre-shucked, wrap the cobs in aluminum foil before grilling.

Featured in “6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors.”

Yield: 8

Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the dressing:

¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 medium garlic clove
¼ medium red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

6 ears yellow or white sweet corn in husks, tough outer leaves removed
1½ cups peeled, seeded, and finely chopped cucumber
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cups unsweetened corn flakes
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped mint
Kosher salt

Instructions

Make the dressing: To a blender or small food processor, add the cilantro, lime juice, cumin, sugar, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion and pulse until smooth. With the machine running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the oil until fully incorporated. Transfer the dressing to a small bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Make the salad: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high (about 400°F). Alternatively, heat a grill pan over high. Add the corn and cook, turning occasionally, until the husks darken and the kernels are lightly browned all over (peel back the husk to check), 10–15 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Using a sharp knife, slice the corn kernels off each cob. Transfer the kernels to a large bowl (reserve the cobs for another use or discard). Add the cucumber, tomatoes, and onion and toss well to combine. Just before serving, add the corn flakes, cilantro, and mint and toss gently to combine without breaking up the corn flakes. Add ½ cup of the dressing (reserve any remaining for another use) and toss gently to coat. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

The post Grilled Corn Bhel appeared first on Saveur.

Grilled Chicken Tikka

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:12:03 +0000

Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen. Photo: Murray Hall • Food Styling: Jessie YuChen

Asheville, North Carolina chef Meherwan Irani’s marinade for these grilled chicken tikka kebabs achieves the perfect balance of yogurt, lime, and spices. Cutting the chicken into strips rather than the traditional whole chunks allows the meat to cook faster without drying out, and as an added bonus, increases the surface area in contact with the marinade. The same marinade and technique can also be used for lamb (boneless or chops), steak, or paneer.

Look for jars of ginger-garlic paste at your local Indian grocery store. If you can’t find it, make your own by pounding 6 garlic cloves with a 1½-inch piece of peeled ginger in a mortar and pestle, or by blending to a coarse paste in a food processor. Dried fenugreek leaves are a savory, aromatic herb reminiscent of maple syrup. Commonly used in Indian street food, chaat masala is a tangy mix of rock salt and spices including dried mango powder, asafetida, and black pepper.

Featured in “6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors.”

Yield: 8

Time: 5 hours 10 minutes

1¼ cups Greek yogurt
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
2 Tbsp. Kashmiri chile powder
2 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. garam masala
1 tsp. dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
½ tsp. Indian red chile powder (or substitute cayenne)
½ tsp. ground cumin
2½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut on the bias, against the grain, into ½-in.-thick strips
½ cup melted ghee or unsalted butter, for basting
1 tsp. chaat masala (optional)

Instructions

Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, ginger-garlic paste, lime juice, Kashmiri chile powder, salt, vinegar, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek (if desired), Indian chile powder, and cumin until completely smooth. Add the chicken and toss gently to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 6. (Over-marination will make the meat mushy and soggy.)
Meanwhile, soak ten 8-inch bamboo skewers for at least 30 minutes.
Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high (about 450°F). (Alternatively, heat a grill pan over high.) Drain the skewers and shake off any excess water. Skewer the chicken: Start by pushing the tip of the skewer through one end of a chicken strip. Curve the strip and push the tip through the middle, then curve again and skewer the other end to create an S-shape. Push the strip to the far end of the skewer and repeat with more chicken, threading 4–5 strips per skewer.
Add the skewers to the grill side by side, spacing about 1 inch apart. Cover the grill and cook until lightly charred on one side, about 4 minutes. (If using a grill pan, cover the skewers with a large stainless steel bowl, or tent loosely with foil.) Open the grill and use tongs to flip each skewer, then cover and continue cooking until the opposite side is charred, about 3 minutes. Open the grill and flip each skewer once more. Baste the tops with ghee and continue cooking with the grill open until cooked through, 1–2 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with chaat masala (if desired), and serve hot.

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Paneer Tikka Kebabs

Meherwan Irani — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 22:40:00 +0000

Photography by Thomas Payne

These skewers from chef and restaurateur Meherwan Irani are made of grilled cheese (literally). Paneer is not very absorbent and has a hard time holding on to marinade, so give it an extra zing with a sprinkling of chaat masala—a spice mix that’s traditionally used to finish grilled Indian dishes. Although these kebabs are best cooked in a tandoor, paneer tikka also holds up well over a gas or charcoal grill—just be sure to oil the cheese generously to prevent sticking.

Featured In: “6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors.”

Yield: serves 8

Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

For the marinade:

2 cups finely chopped cilantro
1 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1-2 medium green bird’s eye chiles, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 ¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt
¹⁄₂ tsp. sugar
¹⁄₄ tsp. cumin seeds
¹⁄₄ cup Greek yogurt

For the kebabs:

1 lb. paneer, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper (7 oz.), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium green bell pepper (7 oz.), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large red onion (13 oz.), cut into 1-inch pieces
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
¹⁄₂ cup melted ghee or unsalted butter, for basting
1 tsp. chaat masala

Instructions

Make the marinade: To a small food processor, add the cilantro, mint, ginger, chiles, lime juice, salt, sugar, cumin seeds, and 2 tablespoons cold water. Pulse until very finely chopped, then transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the yogurt. Add the paneer, red and green bell peppers, and onion; toss well to coat. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
Make the kebabs: Meanwhile, soak ten 8-inch bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.
When ready to cook the kebabs, preheat the grill to medium-high (about 400°F) or a grill pan over high heat. Drain the skewers and shake off any excess water. Gently thread 3 pieces of paneer on each skewer, adding peppers and onions on either end and in between. Adjust the paneer and vegetables so that on at least one side they align into a flat surface.
Once the grill is hot, liberally spray the flattest side of each skewer with cooking spray. (This will prevent the paneer from sticking to the surface of the grill.) Add the skewers to the grill, sprayed-side down, and cook with the grill open until the paneer forms grill marks, about 3 minutes. Using a long, offset spatula, gently loosen the paneer from the grill and flip the skewers. Baste the tops of the skewers with ghee, and continue cooking until the peppers and onions are slightly tender and the marinade no longer looks wet, about 3 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with chaat masala, and serve hot.

The post Paneer Tikka Kebabs appeared first on Saveur.

Indian Chopped Salad (Kachumber)

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:22:40 +0000

Photography by Thomas Payne

A lively combination of colors and textures, this simple side dish perfectly complements grilled meats. It also makes a fine topping for a wrap and mixes well with rice.

Featured In: 6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors

Yield: serves 6

Time: 15 minutes

4 large Roma tomatoes (1 lb. 4 oz.), cored, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 large Persian or English cucumber (12 oz.), quartered lengthwise and cut into ¼-inch chunks
¹⁄₂ small red onion (2 oz.), thinly sliced with the grain
¹⁄₂ cup thinly sliced cilantro
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
1 green Thai or serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
Kosher salt
¹⁄₂ tsp. roasted ground cumin, for sprinkling
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, cucumber, onion, cilantro, mint, and chile; toss well to combine. Season with salt, sprinkle with roasted cumin, and serve with lime wedges.

The post Indian Chopped Salad (Kachumber) appeared first on Saveur.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs

Meherwan Irani — Wed, 02 Oct 2019 15:07:54 +0000

While not traditional, fresh mint is a natural partner for lamb and plays well with the spices in these skewers. Get the recipe for Lamb Seekh Kebabs. Thomas Payne

A good seekh kebab is the gold standard of kebabs in India. In this version, chef Meherwan Irani starts with ground lamb and bumps up the aromatics, adding plenty of garlic, ginger, cilantro, and to brighten the dish, mint. The distinctive shape of these kebabs has a purpose: the top of the ridges char while the furrows stay tender and juicy.

If the meat sticks to your hands when shaping, oiling or even simply moistening your hands with water will make the task easier.

Featured In: 6 Magnificent Indian Grilling Recipes You Can Pull Off Indoors or Outdoors

Yield: serves 10

Time: 2 hours 10 minutes

¹⁄₂ medium red onion, finely chopped, plus 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced with the grain
¹⁄₃ cup finely chopped cilantro
3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced (1 Tbsp.)
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, finely minced
1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped (1 Tbsp.)
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tbsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
¹⁄₂ tsp. Indian red chile powder, or substitute cayenne
¹⁄₂ tsp. Kashmiri chile powder, or substitute paprika
¹⁄₂ tsp. ground turmeric
¹⁄₄ tsp. garam masala
2 ½ lb. ground lamb
¹⁄₂ cup melted ghee or unsalted butter, for basting
Naan, for serving
Lime wedges, for serving
Cilantro-mint chutney, for serving

Instructions

In a large bowl, add the chopped onion, cilantro, garlic, mint, ginger, serrano, coriander, salt, cumin, both chile powders, turmeric, and garam masala; stir until well combined. Add the lamb and use your hands to mix well, pounding and smashing the meat between your hands to thoroughly incorporate the seasonings. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, soak ten 8-inch bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to cook the kebabs, preheat a grill to high (about 450°F) or a grill pan over very high heat. Drain the skewers and shake off any excess water. Retrieve the lamb mixture and divide into 10 evenly sized portions (about 5 ounces each). Roll the portions into tight balls; working with one ball at a time, thread onto a skewer. Starting from the tip of the skewer, work the mixture up, gently rolling the kebab between your palms so that it is an even thickness from end to end, with a slightly flattened, ribbed sausage shape, about 1 inch thick. Repeat with the remaining balls an 9 skewers.
Once the grill is hot, add the kebabs, spacing about 1 inch apart. Close the grill or tent the grill pan loosely with foil, and cook until the meat is charred on one side and loosens easily from the grates, about 2 minutes. Open the grill or remove the foil, turn the kebabs, and continue cooking with the grill open until charred on the opposite side, about 2 minutes. Baste the kebabs liberally with ghee and continue cooking until the meat is cooked through, 1–2 minutes more. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately, with thinly sliced onion, naan, lime wedges, and chutney.

The post Lamb Seekh Kebabs appeared first on Saveur.