Why are kebabs so tasty

The origins of the seekh kebab, like many foods, is a bit murky. The arrival of kebabs into the South Asian canon of cuisine is widely attributed to the Mughal emperors who invaded India starting in the s and brought with them a penchant for tender meat grilled on skewers, amongst other things. These kebabs were fused with Indian spices, and from there, seekh kebabs became a beloved and affordable street food across both what is now Pakistan, parts of India, and their global diasporas.

Read more : The United States of Barbecue. Perhaps the biggest divide when it comes to seekh kebabs is the debate over which meat — lamb, goat, mutton, beef, or chicken — is best to use. Hassan is adamant that beef makes the best seekh kebabs. Lamb can taste way too gamey and requires too many spices to cover up that flavor.

Beef is a standard option in Pakistan, a Muslim majority country where there are no taboos surrounding beef consumption. Hindu diners in India, on the other hand, largely turn to chicken or lamb options due to their religious beliefs. Taken at face value, these divisions surrounding protein choice are simple, but the reality is much more complicated given that beef consumption has long been used by the upper caste Hindu ruling class to oppress Muslims and members of marginalized castes.

It can sit right on the coals until it shrinks up. As with satay or yakitori, or even the ground-meat kofte kebabs of the Middle East, skewered meat can stand on its own. Serve a salad or a relish instead of mediocre pepper planks and your guests will thank you. Or go strictly vegetarian and thread the vegetables with paneer or halloumi cheese cubes dressed in a spicy herb oil.

In Indian cuisine, that might be a two-step marination process. Kennedy does something similar with his fish kebabs, made with either striped bass, swordfish, or halibut. He brines the fish first, then marinates it in spiced, garlicky yogurt flecked with citrus zest.

Serve the chunks of grilled fish with reserved but not used marinade and grilled vegetables, so that the juices of the cooked fish and tomatoes run into the creamy yogurt, making a sauce best sopped up by bread or rice. Kekec learned how to make kebabs from his grandfather, who hailed from the city of Gaziantep, known for shish kebab excellence.

Place on a board and carve into thin slices. For full doner mode, you can hold the kebab up with a roasting fork or metal skewer and carve. Serve with warm pitta bread and any of the other accompaniments, including our chilli sauce and garlic yogurt sauce. Subscriber club Reader offers More Good Food. Back to Recipes Pumpkin recipes Butternut squash See more.

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