Foodie Files: Curried Lamb Skewers with Plum & Nectarine Chutney and Pita

Greetings fellow Foodies,

Allow me to guide you on an Indian style culinary adventure providing all the delights of your love for curry, a flavourful infusion for lamb and an accompaniment of fruit and pita to mop up all the goodness.

For the lamb skewersn you will need:
– 8 lamb shoulders
– Plain yoghurt
– 1 tbsp of cinnamon
– 1 tbsp of fennel
– 3 crushed cloves
– 1 tbsp of nutmeg
– 2 tbsp of coriander powder
– 2 tbsp of chilli powder
– 2 tbsp of turmeric
– 2 tbsp of crushed cardamoms
– 5 garlic cloves, chopped
– 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, chopped
– 2 tbsp of cumin
– 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard
– Bell peppers, chopped (colours of your choice)
– Olive oil
– Salt & black pepper for seasoning
– Wooden skewers soaked for 30 minutes in water to avoid burning
– Pita bread (props if you can make this yourself otherwise store-bought is just fine)


For the Plum & Nectarine Chutney:
– 4 nectarines, pitted and halved
– 5 plums, pitted and halved
– 5 dates, chopped
– Fresh mint leaves
– 1 tbsp of dessicated coconut
– 3 red chillies
– 1 onion
– 2 garlic cloves
– 1/2 cup of raisins
– 1 diced red pepper
– 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
– 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
– 1/4 cup of brown sugar (or honey)
– Salt and black pepper


1) Cut your lamb shoulders into about 1-inch cubes. Combine all your skewer ingredients in a bowl (minus the pita and bell peppers) and coat your lamb.
2) Add enough yoghurt to cover the lamb and then leave the bowl to marinade in the fridge preferably overnight or else for 4 hours.
3) Pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Layer your lamb and chopped peppers onto your wooden skewers. Drizzle some oil and season them with salt and black pepper then cook them for about 3 minutes per side for a slightly medium rare consistency. You can leave them a few minutes longer if that’s not your thing, but medium rare works best for me.
4) Season your halved plums and nectarines with salt and pepper and drizzle with some oil. Grill them for about 3 minutes per side then chop and set aside.
5) Add a small glug of oil to a pan on medium heat and cook your dates with a diced onion until the latter softens. Add your garlic, mustard, chopped red chillies and ginger and cook these for 2 minutes.
6) Add the sugar and white wine vinegar and let the sugar dissolve before adding the plums and nectarines back to the pan. Add some more black pepper and salt and cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool before adding your coconut, raisins and mint.
7) If you are using frozen pita then pop these on a pan and thaw according to packet instructions.

Time to plate up!

TIP: You really do not want to rush the marinade process. Every bite will prove worth it, so just leave it; find a way to kill time in the gym or something. For variety, you can also try mango or pineapple as alternatives in the chutney.

Enjoy,

Chef Jeff