Credit: ©Issy Croker
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Tandoori Home Cooking: 3 kebab recipes that are made for balmy summer nights
2 years ago
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7 min read
Looking for the perfect summer dish? Look no further than these three easy kebab recipes.
Picture this: it’s 8pm on a Saturday, the sky is bright and blue, the sun isn’t setting for well over an hour, you have something cold to sip on and there’s a warm breeze in the air. All that’s missing is the perfect dinner to cap off this picture-perfect summer scene.
And while we’d be happy with crisps and picky bits (or an all-out charcuterie or cheese board, if we have the energy), warm evenings spent outside deserve a meal that’s worthy of the occasion. Something light yet satisfying. Flavour-packed but not too rich, and bonus points to be awarded if the dish in question can be cooked outside.
The conclusion? A kebab. And no, we’re not talking about something covered in garlic sauce that’s to be devoured in the wee hours (though there’s certainly nothing wrong with that), but something just ever-so-slightly more finessed, bursting with fresh flavours and laced with subtle spices.
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That’s why we’re turning our attention to UK-based Indian chef, food writer and bestselling author Maunika Gowardhan and her latest book, Tandoori Home Cooking.
Dating back to the Bronze Age, cooking in a tandoor is a technique that’s traditionally all about bringing the flavour from the clay oven to the vegetables, meats and fresh breads cooked in it. Communal kitchens have centred around the tandoor for generations across India – but in her new release, Maunika Gowardhan is taking us on a tour to share an explosion of tandoori flavours, spices, recipes, with dishes that can be made in conventional ovens and grills in your home all year round.
Credit: Hardie Grant; ©Issy Croker
Packed with fresh, spicy flavours, we’re sharing three kebab recipes (including meat and vegetarian options), that are ideal for the summer months ahead. All you need is a griddle pan and some skewers – but we see no reason why these all wouldn’t be equally as good if cooked on a barbecue when the weather permits.
While the recipes need a little more time for the marinades to work their magic, the effort involved and cooking time are minimal, making them easy to prep in advance and cook whenever the time suits.
Spiced Lamb Skewers with Black Pepper, Cumin and Dried Mango
Maunika says: “Adding sour notes to tandoori cooking is a classic north Indian technique, which has made its way out of the region of Kandahar. This recipe uses dried mango powder to supply that sour note. For these lamb skewers, I include some additional lamb fat to the meat which renders as it grills to give lots more flavour. Ask your butcher for some extra fat diced into small pieces. Marinated in yoghurt with crushed black pepper, cumin seeds and garam masala, these tikka are tangy, spicy and so, so good.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3cm (1in) ginger root, roughly chopped
- 1 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt
- ½ tsp coarsely crushed black pepper
- 1 tsp coarsely crushed cumin seeds
- 1 heaped tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp meat tenderizer (optional)
- 650g (1lb 7oz) lamb rump, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tsp dried mango powder, to garnish
- sea salt, to garnish
- smoked butter (page 147), for basting
You will need wooden skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
Method
Pound the garlic and ginger to a paste in a blender with a splash of water. Put the garlic and ginger paste, yoghurt, pepper, cumin and garam masala in a mixing bowl. Add the meat tenderizer, if using. Stir well and add the lamb (along with the lamb fat, if using) to the bowl. Do not add any salt at this stage — you can season the kebabs sparingly once cooked. Stir well and leave to marinate in the fridge for 6–8 hours.
Mix together the mango powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Thread the lamb and lamb fat onto the soaked wooden skewers. Heat a griddle pan over a medium heat and cook the Kandahari tikka for 4 minutes. Baste the skewers with the smoked butter and turn over, then cook the tikka for a further 4 minutes.
Serve the Kandahari tikka warm with a sprinkle of the mango powder mix.
Spiced Green Chicken Skewers with Mint, Coriander & Chilli
Maunika says: “Marinating meats and vegetables in fresh green herbs is common practice in tandoori cooking. The vibrant colour of these chicken skewers — the word ‘haryali’ means green — comes from the addition of the green herbs, chillies and bell pepper to the paste. I have opted for the classic combination of mint, coriander (cilantro) and bird’s-eye chillies, but I have also included my secret ingredient of green bell pepper to add more depth to the marinade and strengthen the colour.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 750g (1lb 10½oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- melted butter, for basting
- chaat masala, to garnish
For the marinade:
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2.5cm (1in) ginger root, roughly chopped
- juice of ½ lime
- pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- salt, to taste
For the paste:
- 50g (1¾oz) mint leaves
- 50g (1¾oz) coriander (cilantro) leaves and stems
- 2 green bird’s-eye chillies
- 120g (4¼oz) green bell pepper
You will need wooden skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
Method
To make the marinade, grind the garlic and ginger in a blender with a splash of water to a smooth paste. Put this paste in a large mixing bowl with the lime juice and a pinch of salt, then add the chicken. Mix well and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.
Put all the paste ingredients in a blender along with 1 tablespoon of the yoghurt and blend to a smooth paste. Add this paste to the bowl with the marinated chicken pieces along with the remaining yoghurt, turmeric, garam masala, black pepper and salt. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or preferably overnight.
Preheat the grill (broiler) to a medium-high heat. Line a baking tray with foil and place a wire rack over the tray.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked wooden skewers and place them on the wire rack. Cook the skewers in batches, if necessary. Place the tray under the grill and cook for 8–9 minutes. Baste with the melted butter, turn the skewers and grill for a further 8–9 minutes, basting with the melted butter again, until the chicken is lightly charred around the edges and cooked through.
Take the chicken off the skewers and serve on a large platter with the chaat masala sprinkled over. Serve with naan or roti, salad and chutney.
Saffron-Infused Paneer with Chilli, Ginger and Yoghurt
Maunika says: “Saffron-infused paneer is marinated in creamy yoghurt with garlic, ginger, green chillies and spices. Paneer soaks up the flavours of spices really well and also cooks quickly. As well as intensifying the delicious flavour, basting the paneer with saffron butter gives it a vibrant colour. Served with naan and a fresh mint raita, this is one of my absolute favourite grilled paneer recipes.”
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g (1 lb 2 oz) paneer
- 2 tbsp melted butter, for basting
- pinch of saffron strands
- 250g (9 oz) green bell pepper, deseeded and cut into cubes
- juice of ½ lime
- chaat masala, to garnish
- mint raita (page 141), to serve
For the marinade:
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1.5cm (½ in) ginger root, roughly chopped
- 2 green bird’s-eye chillies
- 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp chickpea (gram) flour
- 1 tsp ground green cardamom
- ½ tsp fennel powder
- ½ tsp saffron strands, lightly crushed
- salt, to taste
You will need wooden skewers soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
Method
Cut the paneer into 8 equal cubes and set aside.
Mix the melted butter for basting with the saffron strands and set aside to infuse.
To make the marinade, grind the garlic, ginger and chillies in a blender with a splash of water to a coarse paste and set aside. Put the yoghurt in a large mixing bowl along with the chickpea (gram) flour. Mix well to get rid of any lumps. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli paste to the bowl as well as the ground cardamom, fennel powder and crushed saffron. Season to taste.
Add the paneer and peppers to the yoghurt marinade and leave for 1 hour to soak up the flavours. As it marinates, the paneer takes on a deeper colour from the saffron.
Preheat the grill (broiler) to a medium heat. Line a baking tray with foil or parchment paper and brush with a little of the saffron butter.
Thread the paneer and peppers onto the soaked wooden skewers and place on the tray. Cook the skewers under the grill for 3–4 minutes until the paneer softens and begins to turn light brown. Turn the skewers, baste with the saffron butter and grill for a further 4 minutes.
Remove the paneer and peppers from the skewers, transfer to a plate and sprinkle over the lime juice and chaat masala before serving with the mint raita.
Tandoori Home Cooking: Over 70 Classic Indian Tandoori Recipes to Cook at Home by Maunika Gowardhan (£25, Hardie Grant) is out now
Photography: ©Issy Croker
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