Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
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Cilantro-Chicken Kebabs
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
2 tsp. salt
¼ cup lemon juice
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp. chick-pea flour
¼ cup ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp. garam masala
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. ground cumin
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 halved and seeded green chili peppers
2 cups cilantro, finely chopped
1 cup melted butter
Peeled and sliced cucumbers
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into three or four equal pieces. Sprinkle salt over the meat and rub it in, then do the same with the lemon juice. Put into an airtight container, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, while you make the yogurt sauce.
Put the yogurt into a cheesecloth-lined sieve and let the liquid drain from it for 10 minutes. Transfer the drained yogurt to a bowl and beat it until it is smooth and creamy. Add the chick-pea flour, ginger, garam masala, garlic, cumin, and cayenne, and stir well.
Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, pulverize the chilis and cilantro, then blend in ½ cup of water. Add this paste to the yogurt mixture, stir well, then pass through a sieve, pressing down with a wooden spoon so that only the larger pieces of chili or coriander are filtered out.
Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken. Mix well, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The next day, preheat a grill or broiler. Thread the chicken pieces lengthwise on skewers. Brush the chicken with half the melted butter and broil or grill for about 7 minutes, then turn the kebabs over and brush with the rest of the butter. Broil or grill for another 8-10 minutes, until the chicken is well-done. Serve with sliced onions and cucumbers.
from Serving the Guest: A Sufi Cookbook
Copyright © 1999, 2000 by Kathleen Seidel
Sources of previously published material by other authors used by permission, and print sources for images, may be found at http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook.