Take the meat off your BBQ, and you’re left with shrivelled onions and capsicums. Not anymore. If you fancy a veggie grill and are craving a dig, these piquant treats will deliciously surprise
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Osama Jalali laughs when we ask him whether vegetarian kebabs were popular in the Mughal Era. "Aap ko pata hai, Aurengzeb bhi shakahari the? (Did you know Aurangzeb was a vegetarian?). There were others too," he says, as he breaks into giggles over the phone.
From bhurghul, a patty made of dalia and masoor, to kathal (jackfruit) kebabs, the Mughal empire had a lot of variety, the chef and Delhi-based curator of Mughlai cuisine tells us. "They even made a rich mawa tikki, which had khoya and dryfruits. It falls under a royal offering," he says.
In a kebab, the meat dominates the taste, the spices only adding an accompaniment flavour. "This makes the vegetarian version tougher to replicate. A chef’s challenge is to ensure that the base taste of the vegetable dominates the dish. People follow the opposite ratio, but that ends up disturbing your palate," says Jalali. If veg kebabs could win the heart of royalty, it must have been something. We took up the task of picking the most succulent offerings in town.
Stemmed delicacy
Nadroo Shikampuri (Rs 875)
Making a non-veg kebab doesn’t require much thought, chef Angad Rai tells us. "Real creativity toh vegetarian kebabs banane mein hai," says the executive chef of Kangan Restaurant at Westin Hotel, Goregaon. The highest selling kebab in his Indian restaurant is Nadru Shikampuri. "We cook the nadru (lotus stem) with milk, ghee and curd in a dum for 12 hours. By the time it comes to us, it is mashed. We add khada (whole) masala. The texture is similar to a mutton kheema. To this, we add raw mango, cinnamon and cardamom," says Rai, letting us into a secret. "We never add corn flour or maida for binding. We use chane ka atta," he says, as we land a crumbly piece into our mouth. The sweet grainy mash, with its raw spices and icing of cheese, was a treat to savour.
Also Read: Mumbai food: Top 4 kebab corners to check out in Andheri
WHERE: Kangan, Westin, the Westin Mumbai Garden City, International Business Park, Oberoi Garden City, Goregaon East WHEN: 7 PM to 12 AM
CALL: 67361047
Street eats
Tandoori aloo, paneer, babycorn and mushroom (Rs 150)
The spicy inhouse masala precedes Ayaz’s popularity. First opened in Bandra, then Khar and Juhu, its next stop is likely to be Yari Road at Andheri (W). Watch the chefs skewer the veggies before your eyes, apply the masalas and place it on the charcoal sigdi. We love their babycorn squeezed with lemon juice, and the mushrooms that retain their crunch.
WHERE: Ayaz, Opposite Novotel, Juhu
WHEN: 7 PM to 1.30 am
CALL: 9892966660
Mushroom tikka (Rs 100) and chatpatta aloo (Rs 50)
The 40-year-old outlet Haji Tikka, which goes by the name Bar-B-Que Corner, probably sells the spiciest mushroom tikka in town. So elaborate is the preparation that if you want to have your fill, you would have to place an order, at least a day in advance. While the kebab corner serves the non-veg kebabs off the counter, the owner Abdul Samad Qureshi tells us that vegetarian dishes are prepared, only on request. "We make holes into our boiled mushrooms, and then mix it in a paste of til, khus khus grated coconut and cashew," he says. The mushrooms are left for two hours in a marinade of garlic, ginger, garam masala and achari masala, after which they are threaded on to skewers and grilled. We also suggest you dig into their tangy, chatpatta aloo.
WHERE: Haji Tikka, 76, Raudat Tahera Street, Bohri Mohalla, Byculla
WHEN: 5 PM to 11 PM
CALL: 9820466466
Barbecued paneer, mushroom, potatoes and baby corn (Rs 70)
If you visit Worli Seaface post dusk, you will see swanky cars stationed near Aarey Dairy. The vegetarian crowd comes here for the smoky, barbecued paneer, potatoes, mushroom and baby corn served at Sahil Paneerwala. For the last 15 years, this stall, opposite the promenade has been serving patrons mixed barbecue (you can even choose from the lot), with roti, which is optional.
Tempted, we try the mixed platter that is served with spicy coriander chutney, on the side. We particularly like the babycorn and mushroom, which have been cooked to perfection. "But, the demand for paneer is the highest," smiles the owner.
WHERE: Sahil Paneerwala, Worli Seaface, next to Aarey Dairy
WHEN: 7 PM to 11 PM
Creamy delights
Pesto Kebab (Rs 545)
If you get past the reservation queue, this pretty dish that goes by the name Pesto Kebab, has four kebabs vertically balanced on a plate like acrobats, donning a tuile. A progressive take on the hara bhara kebab, the pesto puree is mixed into the kebab, and the creamy body has a crispy coating we love. Have this with the tomato foam that comes with a tangy zing.
WHERE: Masala Library, First International Financial Centre, G Block, Bandra (E)
WHEN: 12 PM to 11 PM
CALL: 66424142
Doodhiya Kebab (Rs 250) and American aloo tokri (Rs 290)
It’s not every day that a meat lover swears by vegetarian kebabs. Well, that’s what 29’s melt-in-the-mouth doodhiya kebabs did to us. Made with curdled milk and cottage cheese, the kebabs are marinated for an hour with spices like cumin powder, haldi, chal masala and Kitchen King masala to give it a punch. Chef Prakash Dhanmeher, its creator, tells us that he has deliberately omitted garlic and ginger in the recipe to avoid sharpness in taste. As the numerical value of restaurant name suggests, the Kemps Corner eatery serves traditional recipes from 29 princely states of the country. And, this one we learn, is from Rajasthan. The menu changes every six months, so if you happen to go there in October, keep an eye out for American aloo tokri. Here, each potato has been scooped out, and stuffed with corn and green peas. The outer layer is coated with vermicelli and deep-fried. This one will whet your appetite.
WHERE: 29, Mohammedbhay Mansion, Near Cumballa Hill Hospital, Kemps Corner
WHEN: 11 AM to 11.30 PM
CALL: 69992929
Brocolli Dakbangla (Rs 850)
Chef Vinod Mamgain’s Brocolli Dakbangla is worth every bite. He balances the broccoli to retain its protein and minerals, and marinates it in kasundi (Bengali mustard), cream cheese and hung curd. The real hero is the bhujwa masala that the chef from Rishikesh makes using trifala, khus and nadkesar. The addition of ginger, garlic jeera and lime seals the deal for us. The cream cheese, a likely misfit, actually lifts the dish. The other speciality is the Jaitini mushroom. It has a centre filing of green peas, carrots, hung curd, and fenugreek.
WHERE: The Sahib Room and Kipling Bar, The St. Regis Mumbai, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel
WHEN: 12.30 PM to 11.45 PM
Call: 33126011
Move over greens
Beetroot ki Tikki (Rs 425)
One bite into Chef Gurpreet Singh’s tikki, and we assure you won’t stop at one. To say that the vegetarian kebab outdoes the rather sweet vegetable in flavour and punch, is an understatement. The dish is juicy and meaty from the word go. Interestingly, while the base is beetroot, Singh says they’ve also added carrot to retain the sweet flavours. "And, it is stuffed with pine nuts and hung yoghurt," says Singh. The creamy centre, in fact, is the best part about the dish. Fried with bread crumbs, the tikki is crusty one moment and soft and gooey the next. According to Singh, vegetarian kebabs are easier to cook. "Also, every vegetable has a unique taste to it, so that helps us experiment better," he adds. There is another interesting dish on the kebab menu, listed as the asparagus and vegetable khandvi wrap (Rs 375). We were amused that the Gujarati khandvi, wrapped around pickled asparagus and carrots, found a mention here. "Technically kebabs, means a dish cooked with less water," he says. And, hence, he adds, the khandvi fits the bill.
WHERE: Punjab Grill, Ground Floor, Morya Landmark - II, Off Andheri New Link Road, Andheri (W)
WHEN: 12 PM to midnight
CALL: 33126898
Beetroot Tikki (Rs 225)
Saransh Goila grew up in Pitampura, Delhi. And, it’s here that he found inspiration for his tikkis and kebabs. "Bittoo Tikki wala’s kebabs would have a combination of dalhi, imli and anar chutney," recalls Goila. When he created the beetroot tikki, he brought in the same balance of flavours. "For our beetroot tikki, we tossed vatana in onions, chat masala and kala namak. To this, we added hung curd, imli and hari mirch chutney. We topped it with aloo sali for the crunch and anar. The beetroot tikki is mashed in potato and paneer," he says. The sweetness of the beetroot balances the spicy variants. Move over green hara bhara kebabs, we want more of this healthy pink!
WHERE: Goila Butter Chicken, Shop 26, Sai Kanwal Complex, Indira Nagar, Andheri (W)
WHEN: 6 PM to 2 AM
CALL: 33126830
Sweet treat
Veggie Choco Bar (Rs 149)
A take on the mixed veg kebab, chef Paul Kinny likes to call his treat the Veggie Choco Bar, which is a reconstruction of the classic. The mix is coated with a slurry of water and flour (replacement for egg binding) and topped with crunchy breadcrumbs. "When you break it open, a mixture of hung curd and mint leaves oozes out. The challenge, while creating vegetarian kebabs, is that the mash should not be too sticky," says Kinny.
WHERE: Bar Bar, Level 1, Phoenix Market City
Mall, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, Kamani, Kurla (W)
WHEN: 3 PM to midnight
CALL: 33126020
Bed of veggies
Makmali kebab (Rs 285)
The Makmali kebab at Carter’s Blue is a generous portion with six slender cylindrical pieces of seekh, wholesome with mashed red and yellow bellpeppers, carrots and peas. The pine nuts, almonds and cashew nuts add a sweetness to each bite. We dunked them in a spicy coriander chutney, which cuts through the sweetness with its weapon of fiery green chillies. According to owner Mehboob Khan, 20 to 30 per cent of his food orders are vegetarian, and the ones who order include diehard non-vegetarians as well. "I was an embroidery karigar in Dubai. But, had the passion to cook and feed. I learnt Lebanese shawarmas there and set up this shop in Bandra in 2007," says Khan who is originally from Azamgarh.
WHERE: Carter’s Blue at Lokhandwala, Andheri (W) and Carter Road, Khar (W)
WHEN: 12 PM to midnight
CALL: 77388 8550
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