An Invitation to Indian Cooking - Madhur Jaffrey [59]
Remove all the fat from the meat pieces. Stab pieces with the point of a sharp knife, then place them in a glass or ceramic bowl. Pour the marinade over the meat. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
The meat will take 30 to 40 minutes to cook, so light your charcoal fire or preheat your broiler accordingly. String the meat cubes loosely on several skewers. If you crowd them too tightly, adjacent sides of the cubes will not brown. Arrange the grill so that it is not too close to the flame (4–5 inches away). Place skewers on grill and cook each side 7 to 10 minutes or until it is nicely browned. Baste frequently with remaining olive oil. When all sides are browned, remove meat from skewers and place on warm platter.
To serve: Peel the onion and slice into very fine rings, paper-thin if possible. Separate the rings and place them on top of meat. Serve simply with green salad and boiled potatoes. (A good idea is to boil the potatoes ahead of time and then, when you begin your grilling, peel the potatoes, rub them with oil and some of the marinade paste, and broil them along with the meat for about 20 minutes, turning them as they brown.) This meat could also be served with Rice with Spinach or Rice with Peas. At a banquet, if you wish to serve a “sauced” meat and a “dry” meat, serve Koftas and Boti Kabab.
Kidney kabab
SERVES 6
Follow the preceding recipe. Substitute 2½ pounds of lamb kidney for the cubed leg of lamb.
Seekh kabab
SERVES 6
This delicious recipe involves grinding the meat to a paste before wrapping it around the skewers. This fine paste is a little difficult to handle, but patience and perseverance will take care of that problem.
2 slices white bread
2 pounds ground chuck or ground lamb meat (put twice through the grinder)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, 1 inch square, peeled and coarsely chopped
½ cup chopped Chinese parsley (coriander greens or cilantro), or fresh mint, or ¼ cup each Chinese parsley and fresh mint
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon garam masala
½–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional), or 1–2 hot green chilies, finely chopped (optional)
1 egg
½ cup melted butter
GARNISH
1 medium-sized onion
2 lemons
Extra lemon juice
Soak the bread in just enough water to dampen it; squeeze out any excess. Set aside.
If your butcher has not put the meat twice through the grinder, do it yourself.
In a large nonmetallic bowl, combine the meat, bread, chopped garlic, ginger, Chinese parsley and/or mint, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, coriander, pepper, salt, garam masala, and cayenne or green chili. Mix well. Put this mixture through the fine blade of a grinder once. Taste (if you are up to it), and add more salt if needed.
(This much can be done the night before. The meat can then be tightly covered and refrigerated. The seekhs can be broiled in the afternoon, covered in aluminum foil, and set aside. In the evening they can be reheated, covered, in a 300° oven, and served.)
The meat should be covered and refrigerated for at least 2 hours.
Light the charcoal fire. (This dish can also be made in an indoor broiler.) While the grill is heating, peel the onion for the garnish and slice it paper-thin. Separate the rings and set them in a bowl of ice water, cover, and refrigerate.
When the fire is almost ready, begin to prepare your first batch of seekhs for broiling. (The number of batches will depend on the size of your stove and the number of skewers you possess.) Break the egg into the bowl with the meat mixture. Mix well. Using your palm and fingers, wrap meat around the skewers, making sausage shapes about 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter. You have to work fast, as the meat is very fine and tends to fall off; if it is too difficult