Barbecuing

Traditionally barbecuing means cooking over an open fire, hot coals or hot embers although in modern terms it can also refer to cooking food on a flat or ridged electric char-grill. The barbecues are heated by various energy sources such as gas, electricity and wood, charcoal or heat beads.

Barbeque Pork Cutlets, Fish Barbeque and Seekh Kebabs are the recipes in which I have used this method.

Almost all Indian meats and fish are marinated before cooking for flavour and for keeping the food moist. As a guide, most Indian marinades include spices for flavour, an acid and oil. The food is usually marinated for more than 1 hour for the flavours to penetrate through the meats and the fish.

If you are barbequing meat, ensure that the meat and the BBQ are well oiled to avoid sticking and excess smoke. If you are cooking seafood, turn it as little as possible to minimise the risk of damaging the delicate flesh. Cook one side, turn and cook the other side. If you are cooking kebabs, ensure that you place each of the four sides in contact with the grill, cooking each side before moving to the next.