Chicken Seekh Kebabs
These juicy chicken kebabs can also be made with minced turkey. If purchasing your meat from a butcher, ask them to finely mince chicken thighs as they have the most flavour. Chicken seekh kebabs can be a bit dry, which is why I add rendered beef or lamb fat to mine. You can make your own or just purchase beef or lamb dripping. The dripping not only makes the kebabs juicy but also helps to keep the chicken on the skewers. You can use this same mixture to make chicken patties for burgers, or try this mix in my lamb and chicken seekh kebabs.
The Curry Guy BBQ (Quadrille, £12.99) Photography Kris Kirkham
Ingredients
Serves 4
1 red onion, roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2.5cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
6 green bird’s eye chillies, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)
1kg minced chicken
4 tbsp beef or lamb dripping, homemade or shop-bought, at room temperature
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
1½ tsp salt
2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
3 tbsp melted ghee, plus extra for greasing
Rice or naans and salad, to serve
Green chutney, to serve
Method
1. Put the onion into a food processor and blend to a coarse paste. Scrape the blended onion into a porous dish cloth and wrap it tightly into a ball. Twist the cloth, extracting as much moisture from the onion as you can. Set aside.
2. Next add the garlic, ginger, chillies and coriander, if using, to the food processor and blend finely. This could also be done by hand with a knife, or in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
3. Put the minced chicken and the dripping into a food processor and blend until smooth. I usually do this in batches.
4. Transfer to a large bowl, add the blended onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and coriander paste and all the remaining ingredients, apart from the ghee. Mix well with your hands to combine. Cover and put in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
5. When ready to cook, prepare a multi-level direct heat fire. Take a ball of the chicken mixture and begin forming it around a lightly greased skewer.
6. When the coals are white-hot and it is uncomfortable to hold your hand 5cm above the grill for more than 2 seconds, you’re ready to cook. Lay your skewered seekh kebabs over the fire and cook, rotating them from time to time so that they cook evenly. When almost cooked through, baste with the ghee. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your kebabs, but should take about 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 75°C (165°F).
7. Serve with rice or naans, salad and green chutney.