Reshmi Kebab (Chicken Kebab) and Mint /Coriander Dip

Apart from the fact that the Mughals have left some of their great architectural traces in India, their strong influence in the Indian cuisine is an undeniable fact too; their rich, aromatic and spicy food style has conquered the whole country, especially in the northern parts of India. These succulent kebabs are one of their specialties too.

I did these for the aperitif on New Year?s Eve (ideal to pick, dip and eat while dancing, right?)and was a great success in the party. Since this was the first time I?m making it at home (have relished them for the first time at a restaurant in New Delhi), I took reference from these amazing cooks, Hetal and Anuja from ?Show me the curry?. It came out so good, a big thanks to both of them for sharing this recipe!!! Hope my readers would like them too!!



Ingredients:



700g boneless meat from the thigh part of the chicken

A tbsp pasted garlic

A tbsp of pasted ginger

4 to 6 green chilies (I like it very hot; you may increase or reduce according to your taste)

3 tbsp of cleaned coriander leaves

3 tbsp cleaned mint leaves

Salt

½ a tsp of pepper (+/- according to your tastes)

250 ml heavy whipping cream

50g powdered Almonds (the original recipe didn't require)



Method:

Chop the chicken into bite size pieces. Pat- dry with a kitchen towel to remove any excess water.



Deseed the green chilies, chop the coriander and mint leaves roughly and grind all to a fine paste. (You may do this along with the ginger garlic too).



Whip the cream slightly along with pepper and salt together.



Now, take a non-metallic bowl and add all the above pasted ingredients, the cream mixture, the powdered almonds and the meat and stir it all together.

Taste and correct the salt if necessary.



PS:(the meat is going to absorb the flavors from the spices during the marinating time and the salt is going to be absorbed too, so it is advisable to keep the marinating liquid just a little saltier than the normal so that it tastes perfect after it is been cooked. (I precise, just a little more :) )



Now cover the bowl with a plastic wrapper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (If you have enough time, I?d recommend leaving it overnight, so that the meat has enough time to become extremely tender and juicy)



Pre heat the oven to the maximum (since the heat of a Tandoor, used traditionally to do these kebabs can attain 480°C, so??)



Thread the meat on to the skewers, which should have been soaked in water for few hours, which would avoid your skewers to burn while grilling.



Arrange the skewers on a lined and greased baking tray. Place the baking tray at the nearest possible to the heating element.



Bake until they brown, let me say for about 15 to 20 minutes (maximum) and enjoy it right away with a delicious Mint/Coriander Dip





PS: Re- heating the meat or cooking the meat too long would make the meat dry. In order to keep the meat juicy inside, take care to grill it at the highest possible and minimize the cooking time!!









Kothamalli/Pudhina Chutney (Coriander-Mint Dip for Kebabs):



Ingredients:



2 cups of coriander leaves

A cup of mint leaves

A tbsp of Cumin seeds

Salt

250 ml yoghurt (+/- according to the desired consistency)

3 or 4 green chilies (the more the better)

6 pods garlic and ginger (equal or half the quantity)

A tbsp or two of dry pomegranate seeds (may be substitutes by some lime juice)



Method:



Grind all the ingredients (except salt and yoghurt) to a smooth mixture, add salt and yoghurt and blend it once again. Enjoy with the Kebabs.



Enjoy and have a nice week end!!!