Chicken Kebabs with Mustard & Roast Tomato

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast fillet - 1 kg( 2lb), cut into 1 inch thick, long strips
• Small red onions or shallots - 2-3 per person
• Roma tomatoes - 4, cut in half
• Salt & pepper
  
• Olive oil for grilling
• Wooden skewers
  
• 
  
• Marinade:
• Jarred roasted tomato - 4-5 pcs, or 2 tbsp paste
• Dijon mustard - 1 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 3-4
• Green chili- 3-4 ( or depending on heat preference)
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Olive oil - 1 tbsp
  

Methods:

• 1. In a mortar and pestle (or a grinder), mash in all the ingredients for the marinade except the olive oil.
• 2. Cut the skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets into 1 inch thick long strips. Marinate the chicken strips in the mixture for 2 hours or overnight.
  
• 3. When ready to grill, mix in the olive oil in the chicken strips. Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers. The recipe yields about 10 skewers/kebabs.
  

• 
• 4. Heat up your griddle on high heat. Once smoking hot, brush the griddle with a little bit of olive oil and lay the chicken kebabs onto the grill. Grill the chicken kebabs for about 3-4 min on each side, until cooked through and charred a bit. DO NOT cook the chicken for too long or press it down with your spatula as that will make the chicken loose its internal juices and make it really dry and hard.
• 5. Once the chicken kebabs are grilled. Toss the veggies with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill the veggies till they are a bit charred.
  
• 6. Serve with grilled naan or pita bread.
  

Grilled Chicken Kebab

I love to grill and BBQ. AND I like to do it straight on the fire or charcoal which does create a bit of mess and smoke when it wants to ( which is most of the time!!). Due to these hazards my mom decided to buy an electric grill which desperately needed my magic touch. Thus here are the results......the kebabs turned out so delicious that when I asked my loyal subject ( my little brother) what should I name it, he promptly suggested "pet-bhora kebab" which in English means "Stomach filling kebab". I guess you just have to try it to find out whether his naming for this kebab is perfect or not.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast fillet - 1 kg(2 lb), cut into 1 inch thick long strips
• Naan bread - for 4 servings
• Tomato - sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• Onion - sliced into 1 cm thick rings
• Green capsicums - sliced into 1 cm thick strips
• 
  
• Marinade:*
• Natural Yogurt - 1 cup
• Garlic cloves - 4-5, mashed/paste
• Green chilies - 4-5, mashed( depending on heat preference)
• Lemon juice - juice of half a lrg lemon
• Ginger - 1.5 cm pc, mashed/paste
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp, powdered/crushed
• Caraway seeds - 1 tbsp, powdered/crushed
  
• Coarse salt - 1 tbsp, crushed
• Chili flakes - 1 tbsp, crushed
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch long pc, crushed
• Cardamon pods - 2-3, crushed
• Whole cloves - 2-3, crushed
  
• 
  
• Dipping Sauce:
• Natural Yogurt - 1 cup
• Hot sauce - 1 tbsp
• Ketchup - 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp (freshly squeezed)
• Salt & pepper - to taste
• Garlic clove - 1, grated finely

Methods:

• 1. Blend all the ingredients together for the marinade and marinate the chicken strips for 4 hours refrigerated.
• 2. Mix in all the ingredients for the dipping sauce, set aside for the flavours to develop. Heat your electric grill or your stove top grill** to maximum.
• 3. Take the chicken strips out of the fridge half hour before cooking. Mix in 1/2 cup of oil in the chicken strips. Make sure to coat all the pieces evenly.
  
• 4. Place the chicken strips side by side on the grill and cook for 3-5min on both side, or till cooked through in few batches. Depending on the type of grill you have the cooking time will vary. If you have an electric grill, it might take shorter time to cook since you can close the clam shell lid and cook on both sides simultaneously.
• 5. Once all the chicken strips are cooked, place the vegetables or some other vegetables of your choice on the grill and spray some oil and season with salt and pepper, grill for 3-4 min till they get a nice dark grill mark.
  
• 6. Once the veggies are done, place the naan breads on the grill and cook for 1 min on each side, this is just to warm up the breads as well as giving them a char grill taste.
  
• 7. Serve the chicken kebabs with side of the dipping sauce, grilled veggies and naan. Bon Appétit!

Hints:

• * I like putting all the ingredients except the lemon juice and yogurt in mortar and pestle and crush it all up together to a paste. It does not need to be a fine paste, I like it pretty coarse. But make sure that you carefully grind all the mustard seeds and anise seeds finely before adding the rest of the ingredients to the mortar.
• ** If you do not have a grill, you can also bake this in the oven or cook it in out door BBQ .

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Sandwich bread roll - 4
• Olive oil spray
• Lettuce - 4 leafs, or to preferred amount
  
• Tomato- 2, thinly sliced
  
• Red Onions - 1/2 sml, thinly sliced
• 
  
• For the chicken:
  
• Chicken breast - 4, skinless & boneless
• Plain yogurt - 1 cup
• Freshly squeezed lime juice - 1 tbsp
• Shan Tandoori spice mix - 2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Ginger paste - 1 tsp
• 
  
• For Dressing:
• Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Lime juice - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Ketchup - 2 tbsp
  

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the marinade, and
  
• marinate the chicken fillets for 2 hours.
• 
  
• 2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up. Spray some olive oil on the foil and place the chicken fillets side by side. Spray some more olive oil over the chicken.
• 
  
• 3. Place the tray in the broiler and broil/grill the chicken for about 10 min on each side or till cooked through and a little charred.
• 
• 
  
• 4. Take the tray out of the oven, cover with a piece of foil
• and let it rest while you organize the sandwich condiments.
• 
  
• 5. Chop the salad items and set aside.
• 6. In a bowl mix in the ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.

• 7. Drizzle some olive oil on the inner side of the bread roll and put them in the broiler for 1-2 min max.
• This is just to crisp up the bread a bit.
• 8. Once the bread is toasted, arrange the sandwiches as such, first spread a generous portion of the dressing on the heel of the bread roll, then place the lettuce, tomato, red onions, and top with a chicken fillet, ending with the crown of the bread roll.
  
• Serve immediately. Bon Appétit!

Cajun Grilled Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken drumsticks - 2 lb (1 kg), you can also use whole cut-up chicken
• Yogurt - 1 cup
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Ginger powder/paste - 1 tsp
• Cajun* spice - 2 tbsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Lime juice - 2 tbsp
  
• Olive oil - 1/2 cup

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl, mix in the all the ingredients except oil. Marinade the chicken pieces in the yogurt mix for 24 hours, or minimum of 2 hours, refrigerated.
• 2. On the day of cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
• 3. Preheat your oven to 400 F (200 C). Spray some olive oil on a baking tray. Pour the 1/2 cup of oil over the chicken, coat evenly and lay the pieces flat on the baking tray.
• 4. Roast for 30- 45 min, turning the chicken pieces every 15 min and basting them with the reserved marinade.
  
• 5. Once the chicken is fully cooked, broil/grill the chicken pieces to get a charred crispy look. Serve with a side of green salad.
  

Honey Glazed Chili Chicken

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts - 4, boneless and skinless
• Honey - 1 cup
• Apple cider vinegar - 1/2 cup
• Chili powder - 2 -3 tsp (depending on heat preference)
  
• Salt - 2 tsp
• Garlic powder - 1 tsp
• Chili flakes - 1 tsp
  

Methods:

• 1. Mix all the ingredients in a seal able bowl. Marinate the chicken breasts in the marinade for 24 hours, refrigerated, or minimum of 2 hours.
• 2. On the day of cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature before cooking.
• 3. Heat your indoor stove-top grill on high, spray it with some olive oil spray. Add the chicken and spray some more oil on the chicken breasts. Cook for 3-5 min on each side, until cooked through. The trick is to cook it on high heat, over a short period of time. If you like, you can also use the marinade to glaze the chicken breasts while its cooking.
  

• 

• 4. Remove and let it rest on a cutting board for 5-8 min. Slice them diagonally and serve on a bed of veggies or pasta.
  

Hints:
* If you want you can use your out-door BBQ for grilling the chickens.
**If you do not have a stove-top indoor grill, you can also use the broiler and just broil the chicken breasts.

Honey BBQ Chicken

Serving: 4- 6

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs - 5- 6 lb (2 - 3 kg)
• Honey - 1/2 cup
• Apple cider vinegar - 1/2 cup (can also use white vinegar)
  
• Whole coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Caraway/carom seeds - 1 tbsp
  
• Whole pepper corns - 2 tbsp (coarsely crushed)
• Chili flakes - 1 tbsp
  
• Kosher salt - 2 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 4-5 , crushed
  

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl mix in all the ingredients and let it soak for 15-30 min for the spices to marry together.
• 2. Meanwhile, clean and prep the chicken pieces and pat dry with a paper towel.
• 3. In a sealable bowl, marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade for minimum of 2 hours to up to 24 hours, sealed and refrigerated.
• 4. On the day of cooking let the chicken come to room temperature. Cook the chicken pieces outdoors on your barbecuing grill or indoors in your oven.
• 5. If using the oven, then heat your oven to 400F (200C). Place the chicken pieces on a rack, placing a tray on the bottom rack to collect the dripped juices. Brush the chicken pieces with some oil, or just spray some cooking oil on them. Cook for 25-30 min, turning once and basting them with the remaining marinade.
  
• 6. Since the chicken pieces have been marinating in vinegar solution, it will not take too long to cook, so be careful not to burn them. Cook till your desired level of crunch. To make sure that they have been cooked through, insert a fork to the thickest part of the thigh, if the juice runs clear, your chicken thighs are cooked. Serve hot with a side of salad and garlic bread.
  

Flame Grilled Beef Burgers

Servings: 4- 8

Ingredients:

• Ground Hamburger meat/ Beef (73/27)* - 2 lb (1 Kg)
• Onion - 1/2 med, chopped finely
• Italian/ flat leaf Parsley - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
• Pitted Olive - 1/2 cup, chopped finely
• Garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Soy Sauce - 4 tbsp
• Worcestershire Sauce - 2 tbsp
• Chili Powder - 2 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1 tsp
• Ground Cumin - 1 tsp
• Ground Coriander - 1.5 tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp

Methods:

• 1. In a bowl mix in all the ingredients with the ground beef. Make sure you mix everything evenly but without over working the meat. Set to rest for about 1/2 hour, sealed, in the refrigerator.
• 2. Prepare your BBQ and have fire going on a steady rate.
• 
  
• 3. Take the meat out of the fridge, divide into 8 equal portions and form them into round balls.
• 4. Place them on a foil and press with your palm to create the patties. Cut the foil around the patties, so that you can easily place them ont0 the BBQ without a fuss.

• 5. Cook for 4-5 min on each wide, or depending on how you like them. I like mine well done.

• 6. Serve on a bread roll with any salad of your choice as a sandwich. You can also serve the beef patties, as a main dish with a drizzle of Honey BBQ Sauce and with the salad as a side.

Hints:
* 73/27 means that the ground meat consists of 73 percent meat and 27 percent fat content. You can also use a more leaner version or ground sirloin. However, I prefer the fat content when barbecuing, since the fat usually melts and drains off while cooking on the fire.

Chicken Tikka BBQ

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• Chicken drumsticks or cut-up pieces – 3 lb(1.5kg), skin on*
  
• Tikka Spices (From Shan ready spices) – 4 tbsp
• Chili powder – 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder – ½ tbsp
• Garlic - 1 tbsp, crushed or paste
• Ginger – 1 tsp, grated or paste
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Yoghurt – 2/3 cup
• Canola/vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Methods:

• 1. Wash and pat-dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel.
• 2. Mix in all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate chicken in the mixture for minimum of 2 hours to up to 24 hours, in the refrigerator.
• 3. On the day of the grilling, take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature, at least for 1 hour, before cooking. Mix in half a cup of oil, coating all the chicken pieces evenly.
• 4. Grill on a BBQ Grill till they are cooked through, turning every 5/7 min. Save the marinade for basting. If the chicken pieces seems dry then brush a little of the marinade on them, before each turn.**
• 5. Serve hot with a side of garden salad.

Hints:
* You can use skinless, but the skin on chicken stays more moist while grilling
**Alternatively, to barbecuing, you can also cook them in the oven. In this case, preheat oven to 350°F(180° C), spray a baking tray with olive oil spray. Do not add the 1/2 cup of oil to the chicken. Instead, place the chicken pieces on the tray and spray some more oil over the chicken pieces. Bake for 60 min, turning the pieces every 10 min.
***Once the chicken is cooked through, broil (top grill of the oven) the chicken, 5 min on each side, till the chicken turns crispy. ( If your oven does not have a separate grilling section, then just turn on the top heating coil only of your oven to brown and crisp the chicken.) Pay extra attention while broiling. Since the chicken is already cooked through it will burn very quickly if you leave it alone, even for a while.