Those weekend gatherings with family without hot grilled dishes would really be a shame, wouldn’t it? So today, let’s join TasteVN cook and showcase delicious dishes for the Christmas holiday with these 3 simple and attractive vegetable skewers recipes right now!
1. American-European style vegetable skewers
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for American-European style vegetable skewers For 2 – 3 people
Button mushrooms 8 pieces Zucchini 2 fruits Bell pepper 2 fruits Cherry tomatoes 100 gr Large shallots 1 bulb (or onion) Olive oil 3 tablespoons Onion powder 1/2 teaspoon Garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon Salt/ ground pepper a little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh onions
- Choose onions that are round in shape with long roots as these bulbs tend to be sweeter than long onions.
- Choose bulbs with bright, smooth, firm outer skins that tightly hug the body.
- Onions should feel hard, heavy, and solid in hand, with no soft or hard spots.
- Avoid buying onions that have sprouted as they are usually not tasty and contain fewer nutrients.
How to choose fresh zucchini
- Choose zucchini that are straight, with smooth skin, free from scratches, bruises, or insect bites.
- The stem of fresh zucchini should still be intact, and when held, it should feel heavy and firm, not soft.
- Select zucchini that are moderately small, with skin that is not too green, as these meet the standard of being neither too immature nor too old.
How to choose fresh button mushrooms
- Choose button mushrooms that have bright colors, short stems, round, smooth caps, and are free from scratches or bruises.
- It’s best to choose mushrooms of moderate size, not too large or too small, and they should feel firm in hand.
- Avoid buying mushrooms that have turned off-white, show dark spots, or have a strange rotten smell.
How to choose fresh cherry tomatoes
- Choose cherry tomatoes that have bright red or orange-yellow skin, are evenly colored, and have smooth, plump skin.
- Naturally ripened tomatoes usually have a mild fragrance, while those that have been artificially ripened do not have any aroma.
- Avoid buying cherry tomatoes with uneven skin color, wrinkles, small dark spots, or that are mushy.
Tools needed
Electric grill, knife, bowl, spoon, skewers,…
Skewering and grilling vegetables
Prepare the skewers and alternately arrange the vegetables until the skewers are filled as desired.
Preheat the grill to 4000 degrees F and place the vegetable skewers on the rack, grilling for about 15 – 20 minutes until the vegetables are cooked.
Final product
The skewered grilled vegetables in American style emit a fragrant aroma with a beautiful combination of green, red, and yellow colors. The fresh, sweet vegetables and slightly pungent sweet bell peppers blend with the spicy, savory seasoning, making it very appetizing.
2. Skewered grilled vegetables in Vietnamese style
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
1 hour 30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Vietnamese Grilled Vegetable Skewers For 2 – 3 people
Vegetarian pork slices 20 gr Straw mushrooms 200 gr Bell pepper 100 gr Okra 50 gr Unsweetened fresh milk 20 ml Marinade for grilling 1 tablespoon (suitable for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian) Vegetarian fish sauce 1 tablespoon Five-spice powder 1/2 teaspoon Toasted sesame seeds 2 teaspoons Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Vegetarian seasoning 1 teaspoon Sugar 2 teaspoons
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to choose fresh straw mushrooms
- Choose mushrooms that are still in bud form, not bloomed, bright in color, slightly round or cylindrical in shape, with uniform size.
- Straw mushrooms should feel slightly firm to the touch and have a characteristic mushroom aroma when pressed gently.
- It is advisable to choose straw mushrooms that are black or gray in color as they will taste sweeter compared to white mushrooms.
- Avoid buying straw mushrooms that have a foul smell, are dull in color, soft and mushy, or have bloomed too much as they are old, not tasty, and have decreased nutritional value.
How to choose fresh bell peppers
- Choose bell peppers with a smooth, shiny surface, bright colors, uniform color, and a fresh stem that is firmly attached to the fruit.
- It is better to choose peppers with a base divided into 3 parts as they will be tastier, crunchier, and more flavorful when stir-fried.
- Choose medium-sized peppers that feel firm in hand and are not too light as these are fresh and rich in nutrients.
- Avoid buying bell peppers that are bruised, water-soaked, cracked, wrinkled skin, or wilted stems.
How to choose fresh and delicious okra
- Choose okra that has a beautiful shiny green color, bright and fresh, with a thin layer of fuzz on the outside.
- It is best to buy young okra, of moderate size, not too large as that indicates old okra, which is not tasty and contains fewer nutrients.
- When gently pressed with your hand, if the okra skin is crunchy, firm, and breaks easily, it is young okra.
- Avoid buying okra that is soft, dented, or has tiny dark spots.
Suggestions for buying vegetarian pork slices
- You can buy vegetarian pork slices at supermarkets, markets, grocery stores, food stores, or at the TasteVN supermarket chain nationwide.
- Additionally, you can easily purchase vegetarian pork slices online at bachoaxanh.com.
Tools needed
Gas stove, grill rack, knife, bowl, bamboo skewers,…
How to make Vietnamese-style grilled vegetable skewers
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Prepare the ingredients
Dry vegetarian pork slices should be soaked in water for about 40 – 60 minutes to soften, then wash and squeeze dry.
Bell peppers should have the seeds removed, washed, and then cut into bite-sized pieces. Okra should be washed, with the tops and tails cut off, then cut in half.
Straw mushrooms should be soaked in diluted salt water for about 10 minutes, then trim off the dirty stems, rinse with water, and let them drain.
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Vegetable Skewers
Prepare some bamboo skewers and alternately thread each type of ingredient onto the skewer until it is full.
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Make the Grilling Sauce and Marinate the Vegetables
In a bowl, add: 1 tablespoon of marinade for grilled food, 20ml of unsweetened fresh milk, 1 tablespoon of vegetarian fish sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of five-spice powder, and 2 teaspoons of roasted sesame seeds, then stir well to dissolve the seasonings.
Take the vegetable skewers that you just made and place them in a bowl, then slowly pour the sauce over them and marinate for about 15 – 20 minutes for the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
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Grilling vegetables
Place the grill on the gas stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, using a brush to coat the grill with oil.
Next, add the marinated vegetable skewers, brush the remaining sauce on top, and grill on low heat for about 10 – 15 minutes; during grilling, you should turn them regularly to prevent burning the vegetables.
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Final product
Now you have completed the Vietnamese-style grilled vegetable skewers with eye-catching colors and the enticing aroma of toasted sesame.
The vegetables and mushrooms are crispy and sweet, the chewy and tender mock pork absorbs the rich sweet and salty sauce perfectly, whether eaten alone or served with white rice or fresh noodles, it is all very delicious.
3. Indian-style Grilled Vegetable Skewers
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Preparation
30 minutes
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Cooking
40 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Indian-style Grilled Vegetable Skewers For 4 people
Cauliflower 1 piece Sweet potato 100 gr Potato 100 gr Cucumber 100 gr Okra 100 gr Bell pepper 3 pieces Shallot 1 bulb (large type) Button mushroom 100 gr Yogurt 250 gr Roasted flour 1.5 tablespoons Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder 1 teaspoon Chaat masala powder 1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic powder 1 teaspoon Chili powder 2 tablespoons Fresh cream 2 tablespoons Mustard oil 2 tablespoons Cooking oil 2 tablespoons Herbs A little Masala powder A little Sprouts A little Coriander seeds 1 tablespoon Salt 1/2 teaspoon
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh cauliflower
- Choose cauliflower that has a bright white color; the whiter, the better, with a uniform color and intact.
- Good cauliflower will have a round shape, a high center surface, with very small gaps between each flower branch, and a tightly packed surface, ideally without any spaces.
- It is best to choose compact cauliflower with fresh green leaves that are not wilted, feeling firm and heavy when picked up, with the weight corresponding to the size of the flower.
- Avoid buying cauliflower that has blotchy colors, yellowing, cracks, insect bite marks, or bruises and damages.
How to choose fresh sweet potatoes
- Choose sweet potatoes that have intact skin, not cracked or chipped, and of moderate size, as larger sweet potatoes often have a lot of fibers and are not tasty.
- The sweet potato should be round or elongated without any bulges, and when picked up, it should feel heavy, hard, and firm.
- Avoid buying sweet potatoes that are black or have pockmarks as these are spoiled.
Suggestions for places to buy Indian spices
Indian spices such as garam masala, chaat masala, masala powder, herbs,… can easily be found at stores selling imported Indian goods, large supermarkets, or ordered from e-commerce websites.
Tools needed
Oven, non-stick pan, bowl, spoon, skewers,…
How to Prepare Indian Style Grilled Vegetable Skewers
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Prepare the Vegetables
Purchase cauliflower, separate it into small florets, and wash with water 2 – 3 times. Clean the bell pepper, remove the seeds inside, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
Peel the shallots, wash them clean, cut into quarters, and separate into thin pieces. Leave the sweet potato with the skin on, wash it clean, and cut into short pieces about the length of a finger.
Wash the cucumber and okra clean, remove the ends. Wash the potato and oyster mushrooms with clean water 2 – 3 times and let them drain.
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Make marinade and marinate vegetables
Place a pan on the induction stove and add 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds, roast over low heat for about 1 – 2 minutes until the seeds are golden and fragrant, then turn off the heat, let it cool, and grind it into a fine powder.
Add to a bowl: 250g yogurt, 1.5 tablespoons of roasted flour, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 2 tablespoons of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala, 1 teaspoon of ginger-garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of chaat masala, 2 tablespoons of mustard oil, the ground coriander seeds, and stir well to combine the mixture.
Next, add the prepared vegetables and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the sauce bowl, mix well, and marinate for 30 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the spices.
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Skewer and grill the vegetables
Prepare the skewers and then sequentially skewer each type of vegetable until the skewer is full, then place them on the grilling rack.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius, then place the grilling rack in and grill for about 20 – 30 minutes.
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Completion
Put in a bowl: 2 tablespoons of fresh cream and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, mix well.
After grilling, take the grilling rack out, use a brush to apply the cream mixture on top, then sprinkle a little masala powder, some herbs, and a bit of sprouts to finish.
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Final Product
The Indian-style grilled vegetable skewers are appealing from their colorful appearance to their enticing aroma.
Fresh, sweet vegetables, and the creamy taste of potatoes combined with spicy bell pepper pieces, evenly soaked in the rich, distinctive Indian spices, create a unique yet extremely appetizing flavor.
Hopefully, after this article sharing 3 ways to make grilled vegetable skewers that are delicious and aromatic with super simple steps from TasteVN, it will make your family’s Christmas dinner more appealing and nutritious! Wishing you success.
