Diwali Special Starters- Banno Kabab, Subz Tikka & Khameeri Roti

Khameer loosely means yeast. These soft flat breads are made with a yeasted dough, and then cooked over the flame or in the oven. This is perfect for anyone who has never made a bread loaf before.

2. Whole wheat flour - 2 cups

3. White flour - 1 cup

4. Baking powder – ½ TSP

5. Salt - 1.5 tsp

6. 1 cup of lukewarm water, add a tbsp of sugar and mix well.

7. Sprinkle on 2 TSP of active dry yeast, mix well and keep it aside to bloom for 10 minutes.

8. Mix all the dry ingredients together.

9. Add 2 tbsp curd (homemade or store-bought)

10. After 10 minutes of resting, your yeast should become frothy like so. If not, discard the yeast and start the blooming process with another fresh packet of yeast.

 11. Add the activated yeast to the dry ingredients, and put together a soft dough.

 12. Once the bowl gets cleaned, and the dough sticks together, add a tbsp of olive oil and start kneading the dough.

13. Knead the dough as shown here. Fold the dough on itself, turn and then again fold the dough and continue like so.. Do 80 such folds..

 14. Check the dough by pinching it. If it springs back half way, then it's done.

15. Keep it in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp cloth for 1 to 2 hours, till it doubles in size.

16. After it doubles up, punch the dough to release the air and divide into smaller portions.

17. Roll each pc into a smooth ball of dough.

18. Then with a rolling pin roll out each ball to an oblong oval shape. This way we will be able to fit 2 breads in a pan while making it over the flame.

19. Let the flattened dough rest for 15 minutes, before roasting. Apply some olive oil on top to prevent it from forming a tough skin.

20. Ease it gently on a hot tawa, an cook on one side till you see the bubbles forming.

21. Flip and cook it on the other side till it puffs up and become a balloon.

22. Serve hot along with these kababs..

Veg tikka-

You can use any vegetable as you have..

I am using Mushrooms, halved.

Green capsicum, cut into bite sized pcs.

Red bell pepper, to add a dramatic colour.

Onion quarters that has been leafed out.

For the masala mix, you will need –

Homemade curd, 3 to 4 tbsp. I never strain out the water as the juices make a lovely dipping sauce at the end.

Fresh Ginger, garlic and green chilly paste 3 Tbsp.

And a secret ingredient – 3 tsp kosha mangsho masala. The link to make the spice mix will be in the description box below.

1 TSP red chilly powder.

½ TSP sugar

Salt to taste

Mix well to eliminate any lumps.

Then masssage and marinate the cut veggies in the spice mix for at least 1 hour.

Banno kabab –

It’s a recipe that I developed for my restaurants in 2017. We use besan as the main flavouring agent.

Cut 500 GM’s of boneless, skinless chicken thighs in 3 equal pcs.

Dry roast 3 heaped tbsp of mota besan. (Chickpea flour that’s milled coarsely)

Once the aroma wafts out, add enough cold pressed mustard oil to form it in a paste.

2 TSP kosha mangsho masala, mix well over low  heat.

½ tsp haldi powder and salt to taste. Mix well and let it cool down a bit.

Chicken + salt + roasted masala mix + 3 tbsp of home made curd + 2 tbsp freshly ground ginger garlic and green chilly paste.

Mix well and massage every pc. Let it marinate for an hour.

Assembling time –

Skewer  the vegetables on a bamboo stick.

Heat a compartmental pan. Oil it generously. Add the veg skewers and chicken separately so that everything cooks through.

Optionally, you can flame grill it for a charry- smokey flavour.

Serve along with freshly made pita bread and onion pickle.

Cheers!!