My dad grew up in Pakistan and later after the partition moved back to Bangladesh where my paternal grandparents were from. So growing up in my house we had both Pakistani and Bangali cuisine. And these just happen to be my dad’s favourite kababs.
Here is my version of Hariyali kababs I grew up eating.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken thighs or 2 chicken breast
- 1/2 + 1/4 cup full fat yogurt
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 4 thai chilies or 3 serrano peppers
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves
- 1 inch knob of garlic
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin
- 2 limes
- 1 large shallot or 2 medium shallots
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions
- Cut your choice of meat cut to one inch pieces. In a blender add in half cup yogurt and roughly chop cilantro, mint leaves, peppers, salt, garlic and ginger and blitz it up into a thick paste like consistency. (Don’t forget to peel the ginger — spoon works best.)
- Marinate the chicken in the cilantro-garlic-ginger-mint mixture. Marinate for at least 20 minutes to an hour, overnight works best.
- Put the oven at as high as it will go or 500掳and put the chicken chunks on a skewer — should make about 6 skewers. (If using bamboo skewer don’t forget to soak them in water for 10 minutes before threading the meat on and putting them in the oven otherwise they will burn up in the oven.)
- Lay the skewers on a roasting tray and spray them with neutral oil and pop in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes — broil it for a minute or two if charing didn’t occur on the kababs.
- While the kababs are cooking in a small bowl add remaining yogurt and beat it lightly add in sugar, a pinch of toasted cumin, cilantro leaves and thinly cut shallots and give it a quick stir and voila some raita for your kababs. (If you like spicy-sweet add in some chopped peppers in your yogurt.)
Feel free make your kababs into a wrap/roll or eat it with some naan or porota (paratha.) And remember NEVER call it ‘naan bread’ 馃槈
