Chicken kofta skewers with turmeric tahini

Name: Chicken kofta skewers with turmeric tahini
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: half a red onion, coarsely grated; 700g minced chicken; 2 garlic cloves, grated; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp dried mint; 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint; 2 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander; 2 tbsp olive oil

Jill Dupleix

November 21, 2016

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4

There's a reason many cuisines like to skewer and barbecue their food; sticking meat, fish and veg on to a stick and cooking it over hot coals is more fun for both the cook and the eater. The cook gets more control, the food cooks quickly and efficiently (historically the technique was used to save on fuel), and the eater gets a smoky, spicy, sizzly, hot-off-the-grill culinary passport to international pleasure. Serve it with a spicy sauce and dinner is skewered!

Ingredients

half a red onion, coarsely grated
700g minced chicken
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried mint
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
2 tbsp chopped parsley or coriander
2 tbsp olive oil

Turmeric yoghurt tahini

200g natural yoghurt
1 tbsp tahini (ground sesame paste)
2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp honey
sea salt and pepper
4 small pita breads, grilled
lemon and mint for serving

Method

1. To make the turmeric tahini, whiz the yoghurt, tahini, turmeric, honey, sea salt and pepper in a blender. Thin out with a little water, and refrigerate.
2. To make the kofta, squeeze excess water from the grated onion. Mix the onion with the chicken, garlic, cumin, coriander, dried and fresh mint, parsley or coriander, salt and pepper, squishing it with your hands.
3. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 balls. Flatten them into ovals and refrigerate for an hour or so to firm up.
4. Heat the grill to medium high. Thread the kofa onto skewers, brush with oil and grill for six to eight minutes, turning twice, until done.
5. Serve with turmeric tahini sauce, grilled flat bread, lemon and extra mint.
More skewering tips
Soak wooden skewers beforehand to avoid them going up in flames.
Keep whatever you're grilling evenly sized, so it cooks evenly. the food the same size so they cook evenly.
Brush the food with oil before it hits the grill.
Don't turn the food until it has developed a crust or it might stick.
ALSO TRY: Jill's pork belly sambal skewers