The ManicaPost
Rerari Murindwa Cooking Diaries
MANICALAND has stunning natural beauty which is enhanced by the green patches and bright flowers.
Not only that one miracle of the rains takes place in the dead of the night, a versatile ingredient is birthed, mushroom. A good cook cooks using seasonal produce and I for one look for inspiration from the seasons.
Cooking using mushroom makes us stay true to our roots and is symbolic of the culture of a people that utilised what was around them, thus using simple ingredients and inspired invention to create new experiences.
This recipe aims at preserving individual flavours of the major ingredients yet enabling you to be blown away by the power of food.
A kebab is a method of cooking which has Arabic origins where a dish of pieces of meat or fish with or without vegetables are put on a skewer (a very thin wooden rod of usually not longer than 25cm) and roasted over a fire or in a griddle pan. Kebabs can be served as snacks, appetisers or even with starches like potato wedges.
Chicken and mushroom kebabs
Ingredients:
- 4 small skinless boneless chicken breast fillets, cut into cubes (about ½kg)
- 20 button mushrooms halved
- 20 cherry tomatoes
- 1 of each large; red, yellow and green pepper, seeded and each cut into 10 pieces.
- Half a handful of chopped parsley or spring onions for garnish
The marinate
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- lemon juice from ½ a lemon
- 2 tablespoons clear honey, sugar or molasses
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method
Mix all the spices, lemon juice, water, vegetable oil, soy sauce vegetable oil and honey. (The paprika besides from adding a robust red colour to the dish it will also provide together with the cumin a smoke like flavour that even if the dish is prepared on an electric or gas stove it will feel and taste like it was fire grilled.)
Pour the mixture over the cubed chicken and leave to marinate for at least one hour, but preferably overnight. (A wet marinate was preferred because it gets into all the crevices as compared to a dry rub).
Toss in the mushrooms for the last half an hour so they take on some of the flavour, too. (Use remainder of marinate to baste that is to add to the kebab whilst cooking using a kitchen brush preferably).
Thread the chicken, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers onto 20 wooden skewers. (The cherry tomatoes are a perfect sweet and acidic complement to both the chicken and mushroom, let family members help to thread, especially the kids it’s a bit of fun for everyone).
Then cook on a griddle pan or on the braai grill for 7-8 minutes each side or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and golden brown. (I prefer to roast the kebabs over a braai stand in the great outdoors for the charred aroma).
Turn the kebabs frequently and baste with the marinade from time to time until evenly cooked.
Arrange on a platter, garnish with chopped parsley or with chopped spring onion.
Eat with your fingers.
This dish has an explosion of colour, texture and flavour; it’s light on the tongue, sweet, savoury and succulent. The earthy, nutty and buttery taste of the mushroom works together with other different flavours to stimulate your taste palate.
It’s just delicious.
Food is all about family, try this recipe for your Sunday family lunch. These flavours, these colours they stay with you forever.
