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BBQ Platter

Nothing like a good BBQ platter, especially when you have friends and family over.
Here are my recipes for the three succulent BBQ meats displayed in the photo.
On the left are the famous Mishkaki, a famous E/African meat-delicacy. Tender steak/fillet is marinated and then skewered and grilled until tender, the result is a succulent, moist and delicious dish of meat morsels.
In the middle is Tandoori Chicken, a fiery BBQ chicken dish.
And on the right are miniature sized delicate and soft grilled Seekh Kababs. If you’ve been to Mombasa (E/Africa) then you probably know the famous Mamadi/Recoda kababs….this is their authentic recipe.
Print Recipe
Servings: 5 people
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for Mishkaki
  • 1 kg beef steak cut into cubes
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp. garlic paste
  • 2-3 tbsp. grated raw papaya acts as a tenderizer
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp. red chilli powder more for hotter flavor
  • 1 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 2 tbsp. oil
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste/puree
  • 1 tbsp. tamarind paste or lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp curry powder or tandoori masala whichever flavor you prefer
Ingredients for Tandoori Chicken
  • 1 chicken skin removed and cut into 4 or 8 pcs.
  • 1 heaped tbsp. tandoori masala if your tandoori masala is spicy, then use less and add a bit of red coloring to the marinade
  • 1 tbsp. tomato paste/puree
  • 1-2 tsp. salt adjust to taste
  • 2 tsp. red chilli powder
  • 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 1 tbsp. garlic paste
  • 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp. oil
Ingredients for Mini Seekh Kababs/Mamadi
  • 1 kg beef mince ask your butcher for ‘kabab’ mince, they normally grind/mince it 2-3 times to make it extra smooth and add some percentage of fat-content to keep the kabab mixture nice and moist
  • 1 bunch fresh coriander
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp. garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp. ginger paste
  • 2 tbsp green chillies or more for hotter flavor
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp. turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp. freshly ground jeera cumin
  • 1 tsp. black pepper powder

Method
 

  1. For the Mishkaki (Boneless Beef/Steak)
    Mix all the ingredients well, and then marinate the beef in the marinade preferably overnight for the meat to tenderize.
    Skewer the meat, and cook over a hot grill or under an oven broiler until tender. You can brush a bit of oil during the cooking process so that the meat doesn’t dry out. Be careful not to overcook as this will dry and toughen the meat.
    For the Tandoori Chicken
    Make 2-3 deep slits on each piece of chicken, then mix the pieces in the marinade. The slitting ensures that the flavour from the marinade goes all the way into the chicken, and also helps with quick and even cooking. Refrigerate covered preferably overnight for best results, but even up to 4-6 hours is OK.
  2. BBQ this on a grill over hot coals, using low heat to ensure the chicken is cooked through. Make sure you oil the grill so that the chicken doesn’t stick, and turn the pieces over every few minutes to get all sides equally done. Alternatively you can grill these in an oven at around 200 C until chicken is done. Similarly, turn them over once or twice on the oven tray so all sides are equally done. Of course, this tastes a LOT better done over coals, so if you have the option, use the BBQ grill for best results!
    If there is any marinade leftover, you can add a bit of water to it and cook it over low heat until it thickens and is done, this can then be drizzled over your chicken when serving. Keep the chicken wrapped in foil until time of serving to retain heat and moisture.
    For the Miniature Seekh Kababs (Mamadi/Recoda Kababs)
    First, make sure that the mince is totally dry without any excess water otherwise the kababs will fall off the skewers during grilling. Grind/blend the coriander, ginger, garlic, onion and green chillies with lemon to a paste (without adding water) and add it to the mince. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Let it marinate for a few hours (2-3) in the refrigerator. Form small balls and skewer them on flat skewers.
    Moisten hands with cold water and flatten the balls on the skewer slightly to form the miniature sheesh kababs, then grill immediately on medium heat, do not turn immediately otherwise they would keep falling into the fire. Once the bottom side is slightly done, turn the skewer and do the other side.
    To keep them juicy, do not over-cook as they will get hard. Let the skewer stand for about a minute before removing the kabab as it keeps cooking a little more even after removing from the direct heat.
    Serve with accompaniments of your choice and enjoy! 🙂

Notes

You can taste the marinade before adding your chicken and adjust salt/chili. Remember that it needs to be a bit salty because the chicken is without salt and it will go into that marinade, so don’t leave the marinade bland. If you prefer a more vibrant colour, add a few drops of food colouring and mix well.