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Aam Shahi Shikampuri Kebab
It is a culinary delicacy from the
‘mango-land’ Mallihabad-Lucknow-
Awadh. Butter soft cottage cheese
(chenna), rolled with whey-ed out
yoghurt and shaped into roundels
with zingy mango chunks stuffed
into. With a touch of secret soft spices
from the Shikampur hamlet near
Hyderabad, this makes it a favourite
recipe from the specialties of Rampuri
cuisine as well.
The uniqueness of this kebab is that
it is 100 per cent vegetarian with the
stuffing like the same Shikampuri
method, but instead with seasonal
mangoes and served à la Shikampuri
Chenna Ke Shami Kebab.
Yield: 2 servings
Time taken: 10 min
Ingredients:
u ½ kg hung curd
u ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
(2 g)
u 2 tablespoon refined flour (50g)
u 40g roasted powdered chana
u ½ teaspoon green cardamom
powder (5 g)
u 1 teaspoon aniseed powder (5 g)
u 20 g of fresh paneer
u 3 green chillies finely chopped
u Desi ghee for frying
u Salt to taste
For the filling
u 150 g of sweet mangoes; firm &
finely chopped
u 10 g ginger julienne
u ½ tsp mishri
u 20 g mint leaves; finely chopped
u ½ pinch of saffron strands
u Salt to taste
Recipe:
u Keep aside hung yoghurt in
a bowl. Take the fresh paneer
and grate it finely and gradually
start mixing the yoghurt, cheese
into the paneer by mashing and
forming a homogeneous mixture
with the flat of the palm.
u Add salt, white
pepper powder, cornflour,
roasted chana powder,
cardamom powder and
aniseed powder to the
curd and mix well to
form firm dough.
u Mix all the
ingredients for the
filling. Divide the curd
and paneer mixture into
palm-size patties. Take a
pinch of stuffing and roll into
the patties – first oval and then
pressing a bit on the head of the
patty, flattening a bit and shaping
into hearts. Ensure the rolling is
done gently so that the stuffing is
well concealed into the roundelsshaped
patty.
u Heat ghee in a mahi tawa (a
copper tawa which is shallow
in the centre) or non-stick
shallow pan and shallow fry the
dumplings till done.
u Serve patties hot with homemade
chutneys of choice.
Q
What about preserving the
secrecy of innovations
People trust us as chefs which needs to be
complimented by our passion. For passion,
chefs need to be sensitive. Without that,
there can be no creativity. With creativity
there is an immense urge for sharing.
Nobody can take away my knowledge to
procreate even newer recipes. If you don’t
do so, then the sharpness and sheen in me
will be lost eventually.
Q
What is your opinion on food
experimentation
Fusion took place with people travelling
globally. Through the Internet, people
now know a lot about food, which are the
best food recipes in a particular segment,
and then the partying culture came into
being. For a chef, we have to be agile to
learn consistently. Modernisation in food
is a word that has come into existence
now. We should study, follow references
and be creative. A constant R&D is vital
to explore new horizons in food business.
At the same time, an innovative approach
has to be incorporated in food. I practice
the ‘disguised food approach’; where the
taste and look of the dish differs. There
has to be an element of surprise to create
a ‘wow’ experience. Also, it is true that
as chefs, we get bored if asked to prepare
the same items over and over again.
Therefore, it is vital for a chef to keep
himself reinventing.
Q
Any message for the new
generation of chefs
With due regards to the younger
generation coming into this field, the
creative standard is not coming across
that well, I feel. The zeal and effort is
definitely apparent, but they are carrying
on with the same old approach. The
level has to go up. Young people are
becoming executive chefs within 5-6
years. My generation has spent time in
each department to give their best, learn
and then proceed to climb the ladder. But
now with the growth in hospitality, a lot
of poaching of employees takes place. I
would like to see more dedication from
the youth joining this vocation and giving
their best in whichever department they
are positioned at. Invariably, they will
climb the ladder faster today, and hence,
it is more important for them to learn
quickly with dedication.
July 2013 I www.fhrai.com I
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