Recipe: Chicken Kebab’s

Like last year, Lubna at Kitchen Flavours is hosting the Joy From Fasting to Feasting blog event asking us for a recipe and some Ramadan reminiscences. This post constitutes my contribution. Go ahead and click on the logo below or on the sidebar if you want to join in or see any of the other recipes.

The Recipe

I tried this recipe at the suggestion of my neighbour who is an excellent cook. She tried mine and approved the variations I made so I am posting here.

I usually make lamb mince kebabs, this variation is lighter and leaner and I was surprised to find had far less smell (the smell of mince kebabs really lingers). The main variation is less onion because the meat doesn’t hold together as well as minced lamb and too much onion will make the kebabs fall apart. They are also a bit quicker to cook.

Ingredients:
500g mince chicken breast
1 large onion – minced
4-8 green chilli’s (birds-eye or bullet or any other you prefer. Increase or decrease number of chilli’s to suit your taste.
2 heaped tablespoons gram flour
1 level tablespoon salt (adjust to suit your taste if you like)
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala
1 tablespoon of ready-made chana masala (I usually use this brand)

Method:
I usually take the onions and green chilli’s along to the butchers and ask him to put them through the mincing machine with the meat to save me time. Add the rest of the ingredients to the meat and mix with your hands.

Take portions of the mixture and roll into small bolls (approx the sixe of a golf ball), this is easier if you wet your hands with water so I keep a bowl of water nearby. Flatten the ball into a round disc. Place the discs under the grill at a medium heat and cook until golden brown, turn and cook the other side until also golden brown. Wrap in foil until you serve to prevent them from going hard.

These are great between a bap as a spicy burger, with curry and chappati or nan bread, in a sandwich or on their own with tomato ketchup or chutney. I cooked half of the batch and froze the other half in the freezer for another day.


The Reminiscing

Thinking about the reminiscing part of this challenge just made me laugh. I can remember when I was little my parents would feed us early and send us to bed to get some peace during iftar. We then spent all evening sitting on the stairs trying to find ways to come downstairs and eat all the nice things everyone else was having. I am now having to deal with the same from my children.

As a teenager I remember coming downstairs at iftar time and seeing everyone come down one by one with the most miserable looks on their face. Kooky Little Sister was the worst for this as she has had a problem getting out of bed before 1pm since she was in nursery school. I remember thinking I want to give them all a slap.

As young adults, before I married, my mum’s samosa’s and lamb kebab’s were absolutely amazing. No matter how many you ate, you still felt you didn’t get enough. One year mum got fed up and decided she wouldn’t spend lots of time making samosa’s for Ramadan. She used the excuse that there is never enough space in the freezer. There was no way we were having this, so I and Long-Suffering Sister went out and bought her a chest freezer to keep in the cellar. She made us the samosa’s.

Since then, Ramadan in my home has been about keeping it simple and preparing food in bulk and freezing before Ramadan so that we can focus on prayer during the month. Most year I make Ramadan baskets for family and friends, although I haven’t got round to it this year (will see). My other favourite thing to do is to invite people for iftar and Little Man is harassing me at the moment to invite guests round although these affairs are usually a mad rush by the time the fast is due to open no matter how much prep I have done before. I also love being invited to iftar’s and trying out the lovely food that other people make.

I hope to create lots of positive associations and good memories of Ramadan for my children and also some good traditions for them to take into adult life for them insh’Allah, I think the best way to do this is to go back to what the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions (RA) use to do during this amazing month and find ways to incorporate this into our lives Insh’Allah.