KARACHI: Top chef Mehboob Khan, who hosts a cooking show on the popular Masala TV and has posted hundreds of cooking videos online, has an iftar favourite that isn’t from Pakistan: Shish Tawook.
The dish of chicken skewers is one of Khan’s signature items and one that he feels is perfect for people looking for something a 'bit different’ for the iftar meal in Pakistan this Ramadan.
Shish Tawook, which is of Turkish origin, has over the years become a prominent part of Middle Eastern cuisine, especially in Lebanon. Shish means skewer in Turkish and Tawook means chicken. The dish comprises chicken cubes that are marinated in spices and then skewered and grilled.
Though there are multiple variations, Khan marinates his version in tomato puree and lemon juice.
“Shish Tawook is very easy to make in Ramadan and doesn’t take long,” Khan told Arab News, suggesting that the dish be consumed with a side of bread, rice or even pasta.
Shish Tawook is a healthier alternative to the foods Pakistanis normally have at iftar, Khan said, including pakora fritters or samosas, which are deep fried pastry usually with a savoury filling. The chicken skewers are relatively low on calories and high on protein and thus filling, and take longer to digest, the chef added.
“The entire world has different ways of grilling meat or making BBQ and we have our own way, this is most comparable to something we call Chicken Boti here, but more tender, made in a slightly different manner,” Khan said.
He added that the main difference between how Pakistanis made barbecue compared to the Middle East was the level of spice.
“I’m from Balochistan [province], in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan we don’t use spices as much as they’re used in Punjab and Sindh [provinces],” he said. “For instance, nobody else in my family eats spiced food, so [people's] palettes differ.”
Shish Tawook, he said, was perfect for the Pakistani palette: “Flavorful but not too high on the spice index.”
Khan has been doing instructional shows and videos on how to make Shish Tawook and other Middle Eastern dishes for over half a decade now: “The feedback I get from my videos is amazing, people absolutely love it.”
“Ridan House Of Mandi [a franchise of restaurants in Karachi that specializes in Arabic cuisine] has multiple branches, and all these new Lebanese restaurants are opening up in Karachi,” Khan said when asked about the appeal of Arab cuisine in Pakistan.
Speaking about his Shish Tawook recipe, Khan said it required half a kilogram of boneless chicken cubes, four tablespoons of tomato paste, two tablespoons of chopped garlic, one teaspoon of salt, one tablespoon of oregano, two tablespoons of lemon juice, two tablespoons of mustard paste and six tablespoons of oil.
Once the chicken was marinated, Khan recommends refrigerating it for at least two hours and then cooking it on medium heat for 15 minutes while turning the skewers frequently.
“In a bowl, add all the ingredients except oil and mix well,” said Khan. “Add oil and mix well again.”
“For a [more] local flavor, you can add one tablespoon of chili powder, one teaspoon of turmeric powder and one tablespoon of crushed cumin seeds to the marination.”
