Rinse rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear, then soak it for 15 minutes while you prepare the vegetables, chicken, and marinade. Rinse the urad dal and set it aside.
Prepare the marinade in a bowl by mixing together greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dry spices. Add chicken and vegetable pieces and toss well. Prepare the skewers by threading a cherry tomato, then a piece of onion, green pepper, red pepper and zucchini, followed by chicken, then repeat. Prepare the remaining skewers. You should be able to make 6 skewers from this quantity.
Preheat the Instant pot by turning on Saute. Wait till it reads "hot", and add ghee, mustard seeds, and split black gram lentils (urad).
When the mustard seeds splutter and lentils look light-golden, add green chilies, curry leaves, cashews, ginger, salt, spices, and saute for 30 seconds.
If you want to cook the shish kebab along with rice, add a tall trivet, or steamer rack, in the pot with rice. Place the skewers on top of that. Close the lid and pressure cook for 6 minutes on high pressure.If not, simply close the lid and pressure cook the rice for 6 minutes. After the cooking is done, wait for 5 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure.Alternatively, cook the skewers in the air fryer at 400°F for 10 minutes.
Once the cooking time is done, wait for 5 minutes then manually release the remaining pressure. Open the lid after the pin drops.
Drizzle lemon juice over the shish kebabs and fluff the lemon juice with a fork. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Skewers: If there are any splits or splinters on the bamboo skewers, rub two together over one another, as if you were sharpening a knife.
Soaking: If you're air frying, soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes prior to cooking to prevent them from scorching.
Marinade: Marinating the chicken for 20 minutes to an hour will impart much more flavor and keep the meat tender and juicy. If short on time, marinate the chicken and vegetables on the skewers.
Size: Make sure to cut the chicken and vegetables all roughly the same size for even cooking. 1-inch cubes work best.
Vegetarian: Replace the chicken with 1 pound paneer or tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes. Cooking times remain the same.
Low Carb: Skip the lemon rice and serve these kebabs with cauliflower rice instead along with a salad of choice.
Note: The nutrition facts below are my estimates for two chicken skewers with roughly a cup of rice. If you follow any diet plan, I recommend cross-checking with your preferred nutrition calculator.