Less Frying

Bake instead of Frying!

We generally spend quite a lot of money on many items in our kitchen and fridge that literally go down the drain. Among such items is cooking oil.

Once we fry some food, then the oil is basically useless cause it is burnt and it has some small piece of the food left in it which can't be mixed with other food either it does not set well with other food or someone is allergic to the food or some other reason. So we have to basically throw the oil away.

For me the best solution is to bake everything that needs frying, so it is healthy and environmentally friendly and does not break the bank.

Here I share one of my favorite recipes as an example: Chapli Kebab/Kabab

Original recipe and cooking style here and the following pictures are my own recipe and cooking style:

So I have minced beef, coriander, onions and tomatoes (as you can see I am trying to have equal amount of veggies as the beef, as I prefer healthy food).

For spices I choose white pepper, cumin seeds and coriander seeds (cumin seeds and coriander seeds I blend myself in blender as they keep their beautiful fragrance when you blend them yourself, I use my coffee blender for blending). You use as much as you like, I put enough to give a nice taste to my food and still not scare anyone away from the table ;)

Another ingredient to the food is ginger paste, I use a teaspoon. Some people prefer a lot of ginger, but I got picky kids and husband so I stay on safe side.

And then all your spices and meet and veggies to bowl and add three eggs or more (depending on the amount of your food) and salt and mix well. (Eggs help keep all your ingredients together.)

Voila your mix is ready!

Put aluminum foil on your baking tray and oil the foil so that your kebab does not stick to it once it is done.

Now make your patties out of your mix (any size or shape you like). Then just coat them with some oil, this helps them give that golden color that fried kebabs have (it gives the impression that you have fried them :D).

Depending on your oven (mine is a grill oven so it warms up faster and I put it for around 25 minutes depending how thick the patties are and how hot the oven is). You will notice that patties release water during the time it is in the oven, I suggest that you drain that water and then put them back in the oven (if you leave the water, it will burn around your patties and it looks as if the patties themselves have burnt.)

VOILA! Your kebab is done :)

Note: If you are dieting and do not prefer to eat any meat, I suggest you use bread instead of meat. I have tried it and it tastes good.