Recipe Vegetarian Rhubarb Kebabs

This may seem like an odd combination, but rhubarb is widely used in meatballs and stews in West Asian and Turkish cuisines. What's really provocative here is removing the meat from the equation. This recipe also makes excellent falafel if you roll the mixture into balls. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 10 minutes. I love making rosemary kebabs: select long, strong sprigs and remove most of the leaves, leaving a few on the top and bottom for decoration. These aromatic kebabs are delicious and smell great on a barbecue: bake them in the oven for 15 minutes to set their shape before transferring them to the grill.

Serves: 4

INGRÉDIENTS

1. 360g/2 cups adzuki beans, soaked overnight, or 1 can adzuki beans (about 400g/14oz), drained
2. 1 tsp sea salt
3. 400g rhubarb, trimmed and chopped (save the leaves and golden edge of the crown for dyeing)
4. 1 red onion, peeled, chopped, and sautéed with 1 tbsp olive oil for 7 minutes (save the skins for dyeing)
5. 4 garlic cloves, peeled
6. 4 tbsp oil olive oil
7. 3 tbsp tahini
8. 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
9. ½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
10. 60g/½ cup rolled oats, plus extra if needed
11. 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
12. 1 tsp ras el hanout spice mix
13. 1 tsp ground cumin
14. ½ tsp smoked paprika
15. ½ tsp chili flakes (optional)
16. 20g coriander leaves
17. A selection of vegetables to add to the kebabs, such as chopped cherry tomatoes and onions

PRÉPARATION

1. Drain the beans. In a large saucepan, cover the beans with 2 liters/8.5 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 30 to 60 minutes until the beans are tender, adding more water if needed. Drain and let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse the rhubarb until very finely chopped, but stop blending before it forms a paste. Add the beans, sautéed onion, garlic, oil, tahini, Worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Process into a coarse paste. Add the oats, nutritional yeast, spices, cilantro leaves, and the remaining salt. Process lightly with a few sharp pulses so that the mixture is well combined but still has specks of cilantro. The mixture should be sticky but pleasant to handle. If it's too runny, add more oats.
   Preheat oven to 350°F. Wet your hands and gently mold the mixture around the skewers (or roll into balls if you prefer falafel). You should have enough for 12 to 15 skewers if you keep the skewers about 3 inches long. Add vegetables to the ends of each skewer, as desired. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skewers are brown and crispy. If barbecuing, transfer them to the grill after 15 minutes in the oven.