Galawati Kidney Beans-Taro Roots Kebabs

I was craving for those Lucknowi Galawati Kebabs, and was thinking of a vegetarian recipe to recreate the same tenderness and smoothness, something which simply melts when kept inside the mouth. I tried various recipes, and then I landed upon the combination of kidney beans and taro roots (or arbi as we know it). The reason I used kidney beans and taro roots, is because if you overboil them, they release a sticky liquid, which gives a pretty close texture to that of minced mutton. I am so amazed, how close these kebabs are to the actual galawati kebabs. Of course nothing can match the true charm of the actual galawati kebabs made in the hundred year old shop in old Lucknow.

Now Galawati means, something that melts in your mouth, and traditionally these delicacies of Lucknow are made out of minced goat meat. The story behind these kebabs, goes like ~ Once the Nawab of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, owing to his "lavish" habits of over eating and excessive drinking, ruined his teeth. His teeth ultimately fell off at an early age but his desire to eat kebabs remained intact. The normal chicken kebabs and goat kebabs, which had bones in them, was impossible for him to eat. So he ordered his palace chef to create such "melt in the mouth" aka Galawati kebabs, so that he doesn't have to chew and they simply dissolve in the mouth, hence the galawati kebabs were born. These kebabs traditionally had three hundred kind of spices in them, which are known to keep the digestive system intact.

The consistency of the kebab batter is pretty runny, and if you ever get a chance to go to Lucknow and eat the actual kebabs, you'll realize that they are pretty misshapen, and almost have pate like consistency and texture. However they have a slight crust on the top and bottom, and when you take a piece of bread and press into the kebab, it simply melts, and the kebab smears on the piece of bread.

I am not using three hundred kinds of spices, however I am only ONE! And you can find it on Amazon.

Here is the link: Lucknow Galawati Kebab Masala

Now they ship from India, so if you're in India, you'll get it sooner, while if you're outside India, then you might have to wait a while for them to arrive.

Now you can also replace the kidney beans and the taro roots with your favorite kind of meat. Just make sure that you use a meat tenderizer/raw papaya in the kebab mixture to loosen up the meat. We want to achieve a melt in the mouth - Galawati - texture!

I'm hungry! So lets start!

Step 1 : Gather your ingredients

1. Kidney Beans - 1.5 cup, soaked for a minimum of 4 hours.

2. Taro Roots - 3 medium sized

3. Onion - 1, roughly chopped

4. Garlic - 4 cloves, peeled

5. Kebab Masala

6. Salt to taste

7. Oil for frying

Step 2 : Over Boil kidney beans and taro roots. Fry the onion and garlic until golden brown.

Step 3 : When the rajma and taro roots are done, grind them and the fried onion and garlic to a smooth paste.

Step 4 : Pour this smooth mix, into a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of kebab masala, and salt. Don't worry the batter will be runny or sticky and that's how it should be.

Step 5 : Now the batter is runny, don't worry! Just wet your palms and pick a small amount of kebab mixture. You will see that as soon as you wet your palms, the mixture becomes very easy to handle. You would be able to easily shape them too. Then on a hot pan, with some ghee, put the kebabs and sear them.

Once they are slightly brown, carefully turn them and let them brown on the other side as well. These are usually enjoyed with paratha but you can have them just the way you like!

Hope you enjoy these silken smooth kebabs!!

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