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    Home » Vegetarian Recipes

    Published: Nov 25, 2018 · Modified: Sep 22, 2024 by Wajiha · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    Sweet And Sour Grilled Vegetable Skewers

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These sweet and sour vegetable skewers have all the makings of the perfect 30-minute grill-on recipe. It’s made in a delicious spice rub, brushed with a sweet-sour glaze, that gives you the ultimate summer feels, even when you make it indoors! oh, and they look soooo pretty for brunches and dinners.

    glazing the grilled vegetable skewers

    It’s pretty hard to make my family eat healthy. With the exception of Tangy Lentil Oats, and now these Skewers, I have to improvise every frikkin time I want them to eat better. But skewers, my family loves! Like my chicken shashlik skewers are a top family favorite for low-carb nights. Things we do for love I swear.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients and Substitutes
    • Instructions
    • EXPERT TIP:
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More vegetarian recipes you’ll enjoy
    • Sweet Sour Vegetable Skewers

    I loveeeee that this recipe works with literally any hard veggie I like. I use it on days when I kinda wanna do a fridge clean-up. #iykyk

    Ingredients and Substitutes

    You probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. Here’s what you need:

    ingredients.
    • Vegetables – Feel free to use any vegetable you like. This is the perfect time to utilize that produce in your pantry you’ve been ignoring. I went with potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and carrots. I’ve also tried the recipe with sweet potato, zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, and tomatoes.
    • Dry spices – You need paprika, black pepper, salt and garlic powder. Add a pinch of white pepper powder to add that extra kick.
    • Sauces – You need a couple of pantry staples to make the sweet and tangy sauce. Oyster sauce, ketchup, vinegar, honey, and sesame oil.
      • Skip sesame oil if you don’t have it.
      • Oyster sauce substitute: equal part combo of soy sauce and bbq sauce.
    • Garnish – Sesame seeds add such a great crunch, texture, and flavor to the skewers. To make it extra nutritious, top it off with flax seeds or pumpkin seeds.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities

    Instructions

    I’ve put together all the steps in a simple pictorial for you to see how easy this is to make.

    mixing ingredients for the sauce.

    STEP 1: Prepare the glaze/sauce by mixing all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.

    sliced vegetables on chopping board.

    STEP 2: Chop all your vegetables into 1/2-inch squares.

    potato peeled and cut in  1/2 inch cubes,

    STEP 3: Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. Put it in a pot along with salt and vinegar.

    boiling potatoes in a pot.

    STEP 4: Parboil potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes or until the knife can cut through a piece.

    PRO TIP: Boil your potatoes with salt and vinegar. The vinegar will help your potatoes to remain firm even if you overboil them by mistake. 

    all chopped vegetables in a bowl.

    STEP 5: Toss all the vegetables and potatoes in a bowl.

    vegetables seasoned with spices.

    STEP 6: Season it with spices.

    seasoned vegetables thread onto skewers.

    STEP 7: Thread the vegetables onto wooden or metal skewers.

    place vegetable kebabs on a lined baking tray.

    STEP 8: Place the skewers on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and grease well. Grease the top of the skewers with oil and bake in a preheated oven at 220 C or 425 F for 7 minutes. Flip the skewers, glaze with sweet sauce, and bake for another 5 minutes.

    making the skewers on a grill pan.

    STEP 9: You can also grill these on an outdoor grill or a stove top at medium-high heat. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes on each side and glaze with oil while it’s cooking. Towards the end of the cooking, glaze with the sauce right there on the pan.

    glaze the grilled/baked vegetable skewers

    STEP 10: Once your skewers are baked/grilled, glaze with leftover sauce and sprinkle sesame seeds as garnish.

    vegetable skewers served.

    EXPERT TIP:

    • If you are using wooden skewers like me, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using, this prevents the sticks from burning while on an open flame.
    • Glazing the skewers with the sauce while its ON the grill/pan creates a very nice deep flavor. Some of the glaze gets cooked and sticks onto the kebabs and when you glaze it later oh la la la ! This step isn’t a must but definitely something to try.
    • If you are afraid some of the vegetables you have chosen aren’t going to cook properly in 15 mins, you can boil them for a bit with the potatoes to be sure.
    • Adding sesame seed as a garnish adds a great layer of texture and taste. You can also opt for other seeds like flax, or pumpkin.

    Pairing Suggestions

    I absolutely love serving these as is, when I serve them as an appetizer. If you want to make these for brunch or high tea, you can use little toothpicks instead to make them look super cute!

    These kebabs go so well a side with this Chicken Malai Boti Pulao. I’ve made them as a starter during my Indo-Chinese theme dinners, and it’s always gone within minutes. When my man embarks on his “I-don’t-eat-junk-anymore” phase, I make these veggie skewers and serve them with my hot and sour soup.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can I marinate the veggies overnight?

    Yes absolutely. You can even thread the veggies and keep the assembled skewers in the fridge overnight or for a couple of hours before you grill.

    Can I make this recipe with chicken or fish?

    Ok, I’ve tried chicken and it works! All you have to do is increase grilling time and baking time by 5 to 6 minutes.

    How long can grilled kebabs last?

    If you have leftovers after grilling, don’t worry! Keep in an airtight container in the fridge and microwave for 40 secs anytime you want to have them. They can stay in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

    What can I do with leftovers?

    Honestly, I just reheat them and consume. But my friend said she adds chopped lettuce and some mayo and makes a cold potato salad out of it. Apparently it’s yum!

    More vegetarian recipes you’ll enjoy

    • aloo bhujia potato fry served in a dish.
      Crispy Aloo Bhujia fry
    • fried potato cakes with spinach and cheese with ketchup
      Fried Potato Cakes with Spinach and Cheese
    • pakistani stye batata harra with yogurt sauce on a black plate with 2 forks and a yogurt sauce bowl on the side
      Pakistani street food style batata harra (Indo-Mediterranean spicy potatoes)
    • featured image.
      Palak Raita – Spinach Yogurt Dip

    Do you have any questions? I’m happy to help! And of course, If you try this recipe, I’d loveeeee to see it or simply hear about it! Hit me up in the comment section below and I’ll get back to asap! Happy Cooking!

    sweet and sour vegetable kebabs.

    Sweet Sour Vegetable Skewers

    A nice and easy, healthy appetizer, made by marinating vegetables in spices and glazing them later on a grill pan.
    4.70 from 10 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Fusion Food
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 sticks
    Calories: 35kcal
    Author: Wajiha

    Equipment

    18 bamboo or metal kebab sticks

    Ingredients

    FOR SKEWERS

    • 3 medium bell peppers cut in squares
    • 2 large potato peeled and cut in 1/2 inch cubes
    • 1 large carrot peeled and sliced
    • 2 large onion cut in 1/2 inch squares
    • 1 teaspoon salt while parboiling
    • 1 teaspoon vinegar
    • Oil or butter for grilling

    Seasoning

    • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
    • 1 teaspoon paprika powder
    • 1 teaspoon cumin powder zeera
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    FOR SAUCE

    • 2 tablespoon honey
    • 2 tablespoon vinegar
    • 3 tabkespoon ketchup or tomato paste
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
    • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
    • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 3 tablespoon sesame oil

    Instructions

    Sauce

    • Combine all the ingredients for the sauce and form a uniform mixure. Set aside

    Skewers

    • Parboil the cut up potatoes for 2-3 minutes in 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp vinegar.
    • Drain the water from potatoes and allow them to cool down.
    • Toss all the cut up vegetables in a bowl along with potatoes.
    • Add seasoning to the vegetables and mix well.
    • Thread the vegetables on to sticks or skewers in any order you like.

    Cooking the vegetable kebabs

    • Grilling/pan frying.
      For stove top, use a grill pan and heat it at medium high heat. Add a little oil to grease the pan and add the skewers one by one. While on the pan, glaze the skewers with the sweet sour sauce and oil. Flip over the skewers after 4 minutes. Now glaze this side with the sauce as well and finish cooking after another 3 minutes.
    • Baking/Air frying
      Preheat the oven at 220℃ or 425 ℉. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and grease with oil. Place the skewers on top and spray cooking oil on top. Baking for 7 minutes, then bring out the tray and flip the skewers over. Glaze with sweet sauce and bake for another 5 minutes.
    • Once baked/grilled, use the left over sauce and drizzle it generously all over the skewers. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve hot.

    Notes

    • If you are using wooden skewers like me, soak them in water for 20 minutes before using, this prevents the sticks from burning while on an open flame.
    • Feel free to use any vegetable you like. This is the perfect time to utilize that produce in your pantry you’ve been ignoring. I went with potatoes, bell peppers, onions, and carrots. I’ve also tried the recipe with sweet potato, zucchini, eggplant, cabbage, and tomatoes.
    • You can marinate the vegetables and thread them overnight to grill the next day. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1stickCalories: 35kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 0.4gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 271mgPotassium: 67mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 969IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 8mgIron: 0.2mg
    Can’t wait to see your remakes! Tag meon IG with your pictures @butteroverbae

    If you still need a healthy fix, click here to browse through the healthy recipes on the blog.

    « Chicken Malai Boti Pulao Recipe
    Keto-Friendly Spicy Fish Fry Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ankita Kumari says

      August 23, 2020 at 11:46 am

      Thanks for sharing such beautiful information with us. I hope you will share some more information about sweet sour vegetables.Please keep sharing.
      Health Is A Life

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        August 23, 2020 at 8:27 pm

        Thankyou Ankita! I will try my best to oblige 🙂

        Reply
    2. Mariam says

      March 28, 2020 at 11:01 am

      Lovely recipe, I need to try this. This is great for boosting immunity. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Wajiha says

        March 29, 2020 at 6:38 am

        ohh didn’t think of it as an immunity booster up until now! thanx love!

        Reply
    4.70 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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