Sheek kavaab naan with malai tikka naanwich
Delicious lamb sheek kebabs and malai chicken tikka with homemade naan bread make this the recipe for a full-on Indian feast.
For this recipe you’ll need thick metal skewers, or wooden skewers that have been soaked in cold water for ten minutes.
Ingredients
For the sheek kavaab naan
- 500g/1lb 2oz lamb shoulder, sinews and gristle removed, roughly chopped
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
- 20²µ/¾´Ç³ú mint leaves and stalks, roughly chopped
- 2.5cm/1in piece fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
- 6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 large green chilli, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp lime juice
- salt, to taste
For the Malai murg tikka
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 1 mace flower
- 30²µ/1¼´Ç³ú cashew nuts
- 30²µ/1¼´Ç³ú ground almonds
- 5cm/2in fresh root ginger
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 150g/5oz Greek-style yoghurt
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- 40²µ/1¾´Ç³ú cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 500g/1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small cubes
For the naan bread
- 35²µ/1¼´Ç³ú sugar
- 2 free-range eggs
- 400ml/14fl oz whole milk
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 750g/1lb 11oz plain flour
- 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp melted butter
For the red onion salad
- 2 banana shallots, finely sliced
- 1 green chilli, finely diced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 2 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
For the raita dressing
- 200g/7oz Greek-style yoghurt
- 1 cucumber, seeds removed, finely diced
- 3-4 mint leaves, finely shredded
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp lightly crushed, toasted cumin seeds
- 1 sprig dill, roughly chopped
- 1-2 tbsp milk
To serve
- mint and mango chutney
- hot beetroot chutney
Method
For the sheek kavaab naan, blend the lamb, coriander, mint, ginger, garlic and chilli together in a food processor.
Tip the mixture out into a bowl then stir in the powdered spices, salt and lime juice. Check for seasoning by frying a small amount of the mixture until cooked through.
Cover the mixture with cling film and chill in the fridge for 6-8 hours.
Meanwhile, for the malai murg tikka, squash the cardamom pods and the mace flower and roast in a frying pan over a low heat.
Place the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, in a blender and purée to a smooth paste. Place the chicken into a large dish and pour over the paste. Cover with cling film and marinade for 6-8 hours.
For the naan, preheat the oven to 225C/450F/Gas 8 and preheat and heavy baking tray.
Mix the sugar, eggs and milk together in a bowl, stir in the baking powder, salt and flour to form a dough. Knead briefly until smooth. Cover with the vegetable oil.
Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and set aside to rest for 15 minutes.
Divide the dough into 16 portions, then roll each piece into a 20cm/8in circle and brush with the melted butter.
Bake the bread for 4-5 minutes (you may need to do this in batches).
For the red onion salad, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
For the raita dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.
To cook the kebabs, preheat the grill to high.
Take a 5cm/2in ball of the mince in one hand and a skewer in the other. Make the ball as smooth as possible by tossing it like a ball in your hand. Now press the ball at roughly the middle of the skewer and press around so that the mince is now covering all round that part of the skewer.
Now apply a little oil or water to the palm that you used for the mince and by gently pressing the meat, make it in the form of a sausage on the skewer - this does take a bit of practice and you may find that initially the mince is going to fall off the skewer.
However if you form a ring between your forefinger and the thumb and use the rest of the fingers to guide the mince you will be fine. The pressure has to be gently applied and the mince pushed upwards so that it thins itself out over the skewer. Ideally the size of the sausage should be around 2.5cm/1in or a bit less in diameter.
Rest the skewer on a small tray so that the ends of the skewer rest on the edges of the tray and the kebab is suspended in the middle.
Repeat with the remaining mixture and skewers. Cook the kebabs for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.
Thread the chicken onto skewers and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until cooked through.
To serve, spread the chutneys over the naan, top with a little salad, then kebabs, then raita and roll the naan up tightly. Slice into 4-5 rounds and serve immediately.
