Chicken Boti Kebabs

chicken garlic ginger coriander cumin onion lime juice chile pepper cilantro mint sour cream cucumber pakistan grill/barbecue broil sandwich summer fourth of july labor day memorial day father's day backyard bbq

Shayma O. Saadat

4 servings

Source

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves

1 (2" piece) ginger, peeled

3 Tbsp. whole-milk plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

1 tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. ground cumin

1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp. sumac

2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Juice of 1 lime

1 green or red Thai chile, seeds removed if desired

1 garlic clove

½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro

½ cup coarsely chopped mint

½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more

1 cup sour cream

Vegetable oil (for grill)

4–6 brioche hot dog buns, split

1 English hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced on a diagonal

Four to six 8" metal skewers or bamboo skewers, soaked 30 minutes

Method

Smash garlic with a mortar and pestle to make a paste (you should have 1 Tbsp.) and transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat process with ginger (you should also have 1 Tbsp. You can also finely chop and then smash the garlic and ginger with the side of a chef’s knife on a cutting board if you don’t have a mortar and pestle.) Add yogurt, oil, salt, coriander, cayenne, and cumin to bowl and whisk to combine. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 30 minutes, or chill up to 4 hours.

Toss red onion, sumac, and salt in a small bowl to coat; set aside.

Purée lime juice, chile, garlic, cilantro, mint, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a food processor or blender until smooth and pourable. If you prefer a thinner chutney, drizzle in 1–3 Tbsp. ice water a tablespoonful at a time, processing until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and season chutney with more salt if needed. Transfer to a small bowl.

Place sour cream in another small bowl and add 2 Tbsp. chutney; whisk to combine. Season herbed sour cream with salt. Cover both remaining chutney and herbed sour cream separately and chill until ready to serve.

Prepare a grill for medium heat; oil grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, taking care not to pack it too tightly. Grill, turning once, until chicken is cooked through and charred in spots, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a platter and slide chicken from skewers. (Alternatively, broil skewers on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, turning once, about 5 minutes per side.)

Spread reserved herbed sour cream on cut sides of buns. Stuff buns with chicken, cucumber slices, and reserved sumac onions and drizzle with chutney. Do ahead: Hari chutney and herbed mayo can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.