Murgh Pasanda Kebab

Chicken morsels marinated in almonds, sour cream and spices, skewered and grilled

The famous pasanda curries of Hyderabad are made by simmering pieces of meat in a sautéed onion-almond cream sauce. The same ingredients come together in this marinade to create succulent chicken kebabs that are cooked on the barbecue, perfect for summertime grilling.

1 ¼ lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch cubes 2 tbsp vegetable oil ½ tsp cumin seeds 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 1-inch piece ginger, coarsely chopped 5 tbsp sour cream 2 tbsp ground almonds 1 tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp each: ground cardamom, garam masala and toasted crushed cumin seeds ¼ tsp saffron strands Salt to taste 3 tbsp lemon juice 2 tbsp each: chopped fresh cilantro and mint leaves 3 tbsp melted butter

Set chicken aside in deep mixing bowl. Warm oil in non-stick skillet over medium high heat and add cumin seeds. After 30 seconds when they splutter, add onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue sautéing until golden, another 5 minutes.

Cool slightly, transfer to blender or food processor. Add sour cream, ground almonds, ground pepper, ground cardamom, garam masala, toasted cumin seeds, saffron, salt and lemon juice. Blend to a fine paste.

Add paste to chicken along with chopped fresh cilantro and mint. Toss well to coat chicken. Cover, refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Thread chicken onto skewers and grill in a covered medium-hot barbecue for about 10 minutes. Turn skewers over and grill again for another 7 or 8 minutes until chicken is just cooked through. Uncover barbecue, brush skewers all over with butter and lightly char for 2 minutes. Slide chicken off skewers if desired and serve on platter.

Serves four