Reshmi Kabab

Being under lockdown for the past seven weeks has messed up my sense of day and time. Sure, everyone in the family has his/her daily schedule of calls and deadlines, but I am finding that when we don't have to leave the house for those tasks, it is easy to lose track of what month or day of the week it actually is. We also had an unusually cool April in California this year. So, the realization that we had transitioned into early summer did not hit me till this past weekend when temperatures soared to 80 degrees. Instead of heading to the beach to break social distancing rules, we dusted off the backyard grill and officially opened summer barbecue season.

I am always impressed by people who say that their typical summer dinners comprise of grilled meat with a salad on the side. For us, grilling is definitely a weekend activity. We are not big meat-eaters, but the meat we grill has to be seasoned with spices, marinated in lemon juice or yogurt before it is thrown on the grill, or as in the case of ribs, slowcooked for hours. We also always have a pile of roasted vegetables on the side. This involves a lot of prep, which is not realistic to undertake on a work day, even a lockdown work day.

The chicken in this Reshmi Kabab requires delicate treatment before it hits the grill. Reshmi in Hindi means silky. The lemon juice, yogurt, and heavy cream in the marinade helps keep the chicken pieces moist while getting a light char on the outside. Spices used are minimal, texture and light smokiness being the highlight of the preparation. Reshmi Kabab stands apart like a refined lady of distinctive family lineage amidst the heavily spiced, fiery tandoori chickens, sheek kababs, chicken tikkas, and lamb botis that typically crowd Indian restaurant menus. If you have not tried it yet, you should.

Insider's Tip: After multiple tries, I found that no matter how rich and creamy the marinade, I could not recreate the melt-in-your-mouth silkiness of the restaurant Reshmi Kababs at home. It was clear that I was missing something, a secret ingredient or a restaurant hack, that was not listed in any cookbook. I believe that the green papaya paste in this recipe is the ingredient that had been eluding me. The neutral tasting pulp of green papaya is sometimes used in Indian cooking as a meat tenderizer. The papaya's natural enzymes help break down fibres in tough cuts of meat. Used sparingly in the marinade, it makes the chicken succulent without ruining its texture. I guess a meat tenderizer powder could also be used, but given how delicately spiced this kabab is, I am not sure if it will interfere with the flavor. The papaya paste is by no means an essential ingredient in this recipe. I have made reshmi kababs many times without it, but its addition definitely helps with the signature silky texture of this kabab.


What You Need:
6 chicken thighs
1 heaping tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
11/2 tsp green papaya paste (Optional. If you do not want to invest in a whole green papaya, some South Asian groceries carry jars of green papaya paste.)
1 heaping tbsp yogurt
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp ghee or oil (neutral oil like Canola)
1 tbsp corn starch
Pinch of nutmeg (Optional. Can substitute with a pinch of garam masala.)
Pinch of mace powder (Optional. Can substitute with a pinch of garam masala.)
Barely one drop of meetha attar (optional)

Directions:
Wash and pat dry chicken. Trim excess fat and cut into 2 inch cubes.)

Place chicken in a shallow glass dish. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste to the chicken pieces. Rub the marinade all over the chicken pieces. Set aside for 30 minutes. You can refrigerate the chicken for a longer period of time at this point. Just make sure the chicken comes back to room temperature before you proceed with the next steps.

Mix 1 tbsp corn starch in 2 tbsp heavy cream, stirring to create a thick slurry.

After 30 minutes, add optional ingredients (green papaya paste, nutmeg, mace, meetha attar)to chicken. Smear on chicken pieces. Follow with oil, yogurt, cream slurry, and evenly coat chicken pieces. Set aside for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, thread chicken pieces into skewers. Reserve excess marinade.

The kababs can be cooked either on a grill, oven, or stove-top. We cooked ours on the grill -- over medium-high heat initially, basting with excess marinade, then increasing the heat to get the light char outside.

Serve with lemon wedges.