Lamb Skewers ~ Kebabeh Sikhi

While the type of kebab many people associate with Afghan cuisine is lamb or chicken threaded onto skewers and cooked over coals, there are in fact a number of different ways to prepare kebabs.

Some kebabs, such as kebabeh sikhi, are cooked over hot coals, some are cooked along with a selection of vegetables and spices, while others are shaped into round or oblong patties and fried. That said, all kebabs are commonly enjoyed with an array of chutneys, relishes, vegetables, and fresh, hot naans.

This recipe is for skewered lamb kebabs cooked over charcoal, the type my grandfather would make with meat from the qurbani, the animal sacrifice made for Eid al-Fitr. My mother recalls that during Eid (the celebration that follows Ramadan, the month of fasting observed by Muslims), her father would, after distributing meat to the needy, relatives, and friends, set some aside to make these kebabs for his family.

She remembers her father preparing the meat outdoors, skewering pieces to cook over hot coals in the garden. She remembers the sharp but warm aroma of the spices and meat crackling together and fusing with the scent of the coals, luring all the children out to take part. The joy of food for her father, she says, stemmed not only from melding ingredients and flavors, but also from his belief in the nurturing power of food, and how it became amplified when people came together to eat among the rows of lilacs, roses, and poplars so lovingly cultivated in his garden.

Begin preparing this dish the day before you would like to serve it, marinate the meat and soak wooden skewers in water, if you’re using them. Soaking the skewers prevents them from burning.–Durkanahi Ayubi