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If you ever walked through Lucknow's busy streets, you would definitely know it's a paradise for foodies. Among those, the Veg Kebab Paratha is really special to the locals and equally to the visitors. Whether you need a quick snack during your hectic work or a full meal that will comfort you throughout a tiring day, this street food becomes the saviour for many. A combination of this crispy, yet a little chewy paratha, with a veg kebab, rich in flavour—nothing less than magic. Not a dish, but experience the spirit of Lucknow's vibrant food culture
The Special Veg Kebab Paratha
Lucknow's Veg Kebab Paratha stands tall as an extraordinary vegetarian delight amidst the city's rich array of street foods. This dish is famous for its perfect mix of textures and flavours, holding within it an exemplary expression of the culinary acumen these chefs from this city possess. Now, right at the root of this dish is a Veg Shami Kebab, comprising Bengal gram (Kala Chana) and soya pieces. Ingredients like these are all it takes to render this kebab with that characteristic flavour of meat and a satisfying texture, much like that of traditional meat kebabs.
The process of making these kebabs started by soaking the Bengal gram overnight to soften and imbibe its water content. When combined with soaked soya chunks, onions, ginger, garlic, and an array of whole spices, the Bengali gram boiled into a flavourful base. Not only for the flavours to meld together but also for the ingredients to turn tender, this mixture was pressure-cooked. On cooling, the mixture is ground to a fine paste, which forms the base for the kebabs. Now, chopped coriander, green chillies, lemon juice, and powdered spices can be added to the kebabs for freshness and zing.
Ingredients:
For the kebab:
250 g Bengal gram
1 cup soya chunks, soaked in warm water
4 medium Onions chopped
2tbsp Garlic chopped
2” piece Ginger chopped
1 tsp Salt
2tbsp Lemon juice
4 Green chillies, chopped
50 g Coriander leaves
1 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
Oil for shallow frying
5 Cloves
2 Bay leaves
2” Cinnamon
3 Black Cardamom
3 Cardamom
¼ tsp Nutmeg powder
8 Whole red chillies
2 tbs Pepper corns
For the Kebab
Soak the Bengal gram overnight (you should look for the smaller variety of Bengal gram as it is more flavourful). Peel and dice 4 onions.
Put the soaked gram, soya chunks in a pressure pan with 2 ½ cups water. Add the chopped ginger, diced onions, garlic and the whole spices and pressure cook for 7-8 whistles. Allow the pressure to release and cool the chana
Grind the cooked chana to a fine paste.
Add the chopped coriander, chopped onions, chopped green chillies, lemon juice and powdered spices to the paste. Mix well and adjust seasoning.
Shape out into small patties from the paste.
Heat some oil in a frying pan. Add a few patties at a time and shallow fry on medium heat till crisp on the sides. Flip and cook on the other side as well.
For the Paratha
Add salt to the flour and mix well. Make a well in the centre of the flour.
Pour in the milk and the sugar, and mixed well.
Add sufficient water to need to a soft and smooth group. Knead the dough for 7 to 8 minutes.
Now spread the dough out and add a tablespoon of ghee over it. Spread the ghee and fold in the ghee into the dough. Repeat the process thrice.
Now rest the dough for at least 2 Hours.
Knead the dough again for 2 to 3 minutes. Break the dough into 8 equal sized balls.
Roll out it. Roll out each dough ball into a large paratha. Heat and Ulta tawa a nd brush with oil. Now place the paratha over a medium hot tava. And cook the paratha till crisp on both side adding ghee as required.
Serve the kabab and paratha with green chutney and Onion rings.
The paratha is the other star of the dish and an exclusive Lucknow speciality cooked, as it is on an ulta tawa, or inverted griddle. Now, this paratha will be very crispy from the outside but chewy from within, for the dough is prepared with great care and rested for hours. The dough kneaded well, added ghee for flavourfulness, and rested, giving this paratha an interesting texture. The paratha puffed up quite nicely on the ulta tava, which creates layers and adds to its delightful chew.
The Veg Shami Kebab and ulta tawa paratha come together to make something quite superior to the sum of the parts. This is street food par excellence, variously served with dollops of fresh green chutney and a side of onion rings, providing just the right kind of contrast with those rich and hearty kebabs and paratha. This recipe by Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria epitomizes the very essence of Lucknow's culinary heritage and is a great way to experience its taste at home.
