Harissa Rubbed Chicken Kababs

I'm sitting in Minneapolis as I write this post and the temperature outside is -13 degrees celsius. Probably not a good temperature to grill outside, but I just cannot stop thinking of the nice grill party I had at my place in New Delhi a few weeks back.

I first discovered Harissa a few years back at a friends place and over time have tried both making Harissa at home (it is really easy to make) and also try out other things with Harissa, the Harissa rubbed chicken kababs being my favorite ( Harissa mashed potatoes the other favorite). Of late, I have sourced out a vendor who stocks up harissa and I usually take the easy route of buying harissa tubes from him.

So what is Harissa? Harissa is a North African ( mostly Moroccan, Algerian & Tunisian cuisine) hot sauce made with chillies and paprika, flavored with caraway & cumin seeds. Different versions of making this sauce exist. Types of chillies can be played around with to arrive at the hotness of the Harissa sauce. I personally use red ancho chillies and paprika to make my Harissa.

Harissa

Ingredients:

Dried Red Chillies - 10-12

Paprika - 2 Tsp

Garlic, minced - 4

Corriander seeds,ground - 1 Tsp

Cumin seeds, ground - 1 Tsp

Caraway seeds, ground - 1 Tsp

Olive Oil - 2 Tblsp

Sea Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Tomato Paste - 1 Tsp

Method:

1. Soak the dried chillies in warm water for half an hour. Drain them and remove stem & seeds.

2. Blend all the ingredients in a blender to form a smooth paste.

3. Store in a air tight container. NOTE: Harissa stays well in the refrigerator. Drizzling a few drops of olive oil on top of it while storing will keep it fresh.

Harissa Rubbed Chicken Kababs

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes - 200 gm

Lemon Juice - 3 Tblsp

Ginger -garlic paste - 3 Tblsp

Onion paste - 2 Tblsp

Harissa - 3 Tblsp

Mixed Herbs - 3 Tsp

Olive Oil - 1 Tsp

Sea Salt - To Taste

Olive Oil - For Basting

Method:

1. Wash & clean the chicken cubes. Rub with ginger garlic paste and marinate in lemon juice for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare a second marinade by combining olive oil, harissa, onion paste, mix herbs and sea salt. Add the chicken cubes to this marinade. Rest for another 30 minutes.

3. Heat grill to moderately high temperature.

4. Thread the chicken cubes on skewers and grill till done. Turn around regularly and baste them with olive oil to prevent drying.

5. Serve hot.

Posted in: Appetizer,Chicken,Chicken recipe,Chili,Grill,Harissa,Kabab,North African Cuisine,snack,Tandoori,Tikka