The kashmiri chicken kebabs....

OK so a little more about the Kashmiri Murg Kebabs....I'm not sure if I'm really allowed to put the recipe up but here goes

750g chicken (chicken thighs are probably best but I used chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon cashew nut paste (grind up cashews in a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
1 tablespoon green chilli paste
375ml natural yoghurt
200ml single cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons plain flour
2 tablespoons malt (white) vinegar
3 tablesppons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground green cardamom (deseed pods if you have them and either use a pestle and mortar or the back of a teaspoon)
5.5 tablespoons vegetable oil (sunflower works well)
2 tablespoons ginger paste (blend using a blender and add a little water to make a paste)
2 tablespoons garlic paste (same method as for ginger paste)
2 tablespoons rose petals (ground) - admittedly we didn't have any in the house so i left these out!
salt to season

Cut the chicken into strips (easier for threading onto skewers)

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together in a large shallow dish.  Season with a little salt, add the chicken pieces and leave to marinade for at least 3 hours.

Thread the chicken strips onto the skewers and cook either under a very hot grill (turning occasionally) or over a bbq.

the result - fantastic chicken skewers - fairly spicy but they won't blow your head off...  If you want to add a little more spice then up the quantity of the green chilli paste, but I really don't think you need to with this recipe. 

The cashews add a lovely depth of flavour but don't give a particularly "nutty" taste.

This evening I'll be attempting to find a spice mix to go with some sole I've dug out of the freezer (so completely over turkey!)

More on the book later

India - a cookbook by Pushpesh Pant

Received for Christmas from my two fantastic sons (admittedly they did have some help choosing the gift!).  Having told my father in law (originally from Gujurat state) that I had received this fantastic new Indian cookbook, his scoffing was audible - doesn't anyone know that all the Indian recipes you need to know are passed down through the family?  Admittedly, the family favourites (dry chicken and potato, and spiced lamb meatballs) are from my father in law, who is a fantastic cook, but I think you can never have too many cookery books, and the more you can draw inspiration from, the better your end results.

So, onto the book.  India cookbook - by Pushpesh Pant.  It's telling me it's the only book on Indian food I'll ever need - let's see.

Off to supervise my husband cooking the Kashmiri Murg Kebab (p.217) over hot coals - who am I kidding, there's only one good bbq cook in our house, and it's certainly not me.  Back tomorrow for a little more insight into the book, the recipe and the result!