True to its name, Khaas Seekh is a very special chicken kebab with the combination of chicken and soft cottage cheese! Pure Indulgence!
It is quite painful for me to be away from my kitchen and sadly that’s what is happening with me these days! My professional engagement has taken over my creative world and I am only looking through nothing but dry numbers.
I don’t have much complain with the work; I mean I can’t, right? I do that for my living, but I also want to do something for my mind to live well and happy.
My mind works in this strange way which I have realized in the last couple of years – no matter how tired I am or how angry/irritated/frustrated or whatever I feel, as soon as I start interacting with my kitchen, a wave of pleasure evolves inside and I start feeling happy. The aroma of spices opens up my inner senses, unwinds my nerves.
The commotions of utensils seems like music to my ears relaxing my stressed mind. This emotional alteration is quite difficult to explain in words; but if you are also passionate about something, chances are that you are smiling now on your own thinking of the similar emotional attachment that you have with your object of passion!
“Passion” is such a complex thing that in many circumstances people would laugh at you for being obsessive. But don’t pay much attention there; you can’t help them, neither can they help you. So be it. Indulge in your passion and bring the best out of yourself. This will only make you the happiest at the end of the day!
Today’s recipe is quite exotic and not a regular every-day dish. This is one of those occasional indulgences and an absolute delicacy. I learnt this from Sanjeev Kapoor’s book ‘Tandoori Cooking @Home’. This is quite a unique kabab I must say.
The combination of chicken, cheese and paneer (cottage cheese) has resulted into an outstanding creation which you will savor long after you finish your meal. The only tricky part is the wrapping up of chicken layer over the cottage cheese but second or third trial onward you can do it like a breeze.
- Chicken mince – 500 gms
- Paneer/Cottage cheese – 1 cup, grated
- Processed cheese – ½ cup, grated
- Green cardamom powder – 1 & ½ tsp
- Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp
- Chopped fresh mint leaves – 1 tbsp
- Khoya/mawa – ½ cup, grated
- Egg – 1, beaten
- White pepper powder – 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Oil for shallow frying
- Chaat masala – 1 tsp
- Satay stick – 8 to 10
- Soak the satay sticks in water for at least fifteen minutes so that they don’t burn while cooking.
- In a bowl, mix together the cottage cheese, processed cheese, half the cardamom powder, half the garam masala powder and the fresh mint. Mash the cottage cheese well with your hands.
- Take a portion of size of a 1 inch ball of this paneer mixture and mould on a satay stick into a thin sausage shape. Press the ends firmly.
- In another bowl, mix together the khoya and the minced chicken. Add the egg, salt, the remaining cardamom and garam masala powders and the white pepper powder. Mix well. Make sure the mixture is sticky and not watery. Otherwise you won’t be able to shape the ‘Khaas Seekh’!
- Now take a portion of this chicken mixture and flatten it out on your palm like a parantha/chapati. Place a paneer-wrapped satay stick in the middle and roll up the chicken layer all around so that the whole cottage cheese is wrapped with chicken.
- Similarly prepare the rest of the seekh. Place the seekhs in a refrigerator for some time before frying so that the layers do not come off while cooking.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan/grill pan and shallow-fry the seekhs, turning to cook evenly on all side for about 10 to 12 minutes
- Serve hot, sprinkled with the chaat masala and green chutney.
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