Chicken Nutrela Kabab

A wise person said, “It is important to experiment and endlessly seek after creating the best possible flavors when preparing foods. That means not being afraid to experiment with various ingredients.”

As a cook and food blogger, I truly believe in this quote. As fun as it is to cook something from a given recipe, creating something new is a whole different level of fun. Of course I have the advantage of having a foodie as my life partner. Debarshi loves to eat new dishes and this gives me the confidence to try new things. Take this recipe as an example, I am sure you have had and prepared Chicken Kababs but have you ever had a Chicken Nutrela Kabab? If your answer is no, then you have to try this recipe. Chicken when combined with Nutrela develops a beautiful mild juicy taste. Now imagine it with the aromatic homemade Garam Masala and deliciously caramelized onions, yum! The addition of Fennel, Mint and Cilantro adds a beautiful fresh aroma and taste in the Kababs while the Whole Black Pepper and Ginger add a hint of heat. I have also used Bihari Kabab Masala to bring a professional and restaurant style taste in these Kababs.

I came up with this Kabab recipe about 3 years back and have been preparing this ever since. I wanted to try something new and had a bunch of ingredients just sitting in my fridge. I love cooking with fresh herbs but they start going bad within a few days and I thought I need to use them in a recipe which can be my backup plan for using the herbs whenever I want. You may not believe it but the best way to use a lot of herbs quickly is by making some yummy Kababs. Kabab Paratha with a Cilantro Mint Chutney is one of Debarshi’s favorite dinner. How did I start adding Nutrela? Well, I love Nutrela curry with tomato and ginger and I thought vegetarian Nutrela Kababs will be delicious. So, I prepared a Nutrela Kabab mix, however after frying the first batch I felt that the mixture needed more taste so I added some ground meat in it and voila! It was a success! Over time I kept on improvising the recipe and every time it tasted even better and when I prepared these yummy Kababs last night, I felt that finally it is time to unveil this delicious recipe.

So, let me present to you, my own recipe - easy stove top Chicken Nutrela Kababs. Now since we are pasting ginger, garlic and Nutrela the moisture may make the mixture a bit difficult to handle but be careful while adding the breadcrumbs. We do not want too much of it. Just add a little at a time and mix it well so that it absorbs the extra moisture. If you do not have breadcrumbs, try using quick one minute oats. Follow my directions to make these quick delicious Kababs anytime you want.

Have guests coming over for drinks or dinner and worrying about the appetizer? I got you covered! Just mold the Kababs into 1 inch balls and fry them crisp. Stick cocktail picks on the Kababs and serve them with a hot Cilantro Mint Chutney and everyone will be asking for some more. 

Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:

• Ground Chicken - 1 pound
• Nutrela Chunks – 1 cup 
• Green Chilis – 2-3, chopped
• Ginger – 1 inch
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Onion - 1 cup, julienned or chopped 
• Salt – ½ teaspoon (or to taste) + about ¼ teaspoon (for the Nutrela)
• Bihari Kabab Masala – 3 tablespoons
• Fresh Cilantro – a handful, chopped
• Fresh Mint – a handful, chopped
• Bread Crumbs – about ¼ cup for the Nutrela mix + about ¼ cup for the ground chicken (or as required)
• Garam Masala – ½ teaspoon
• Whole Black Pepper – ½ teaspoon
• Fennel Seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Oil – 4-5 tablespoons for frying the Kababs + about 2 tablespoons for frying the Nutrela mix

Let’s do some preparations first:

• Heat about 2 cups of water with some Salt (about ¼ teaspoon) in a small pan.
• Add the Nutrela chunks in it and once it comes to a boil switch off the heat.
• Let them soak in the water so that the chunks grow and develop a sponge like texture. 
• Once they are cool enough to handle, squeeze out all the water and wash them under normal tap water. Squeeze them again and put them in the blender/ Nutri bullet cup.
• Add the Ginger and Garlic in it and run for a few minutes to form a thick paste, add just a little water if required (if using Nutri bullet use the extractor blade).
• Now heat a wok over medium high heat.
• Add about 2 tablespoons of Oil in it.
• After a few seconds, add the Onion and Green Chili in it.
• Add about ¼ teaspoon of Salt in it and fry till it is golden in color.
• Add the Nutrela mix in it and mix well.
• Fry for about 4-5 minutes then add the Breadcrumbs in it (about ¼ cup, a little at a time and mix well so that it absorbs the extra moisture).
• Once the mixture looks dry, turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit.
• After 10-15 minutes, take a big bowl and add the Ground Chicken in it. 
• Add the Nutrela mix in it along with all the spices (Salt ¼ teaspoon, Bihari Kabab Masala, Cilantro, Mint, Garam Masala, Fennel Seeds and Whole Black Pepper). Mix well.
• At this time the mixture will be very sticky. Add the Breadcrumbs (¼ cup) and mix well.

Directions to prepare the Kababs:

• Wash your hands and start molding the Kababs into round patties (you can decide the size - big or medium), if the mixture is still sticky, add just a little more Breadcrumbs and mix well. 

• Heat a big skillet over medium high heat.
• Add 2-3 tablespoons of Oil in it.
• Turn down the heat to medium and place 4-5 Kababs on the skillet and let them cook. Turn after every 5 minutes. The batch should be ready in 10- 15 minutes. Keeping the heat on medium ensures that the chicken cooks thoroughly and the Kababs get a nice crispy fried texture.

• Fry the Kababs till they look reddish brown in color.
• Once the batch is done transfer it on a plate lined with paper towels and clean the skillet a little removing any small burnt pieces.    
• Serve the Kababs hot with Onion rings, Cucumber slices and Cilantro Mint chutney as an appetizer or with plain Paratha and chutney as a main course.

Tips:

• Don’t have breadcrumbs? Use quick one-minute Oatmeal to absorb extra moisture.
• Wash the Cilantro and Mint thoroughly to remove any dirt particles.
• You can buy the Nutrela chunks from your local Indian store.

Recommended reading:

• Garam Masala
• Nutri Bullet – now cook gourmet foods whenever you want 
• Dhania Chutney
• Mughlai Kabab
• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Plain Paratha (Fried Flat Bread)
• Chicken Alu Cutlets (Crispy Chicken and Potato Patties)
• Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)
• Egg Rolls Indian Style
• Chapli Kabab with Lachha Paratha