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1
Cut the Meat
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Cut the 400 g chicken thighs and 400 g goat into even 3 cm (1 1/4 inch) cubes, trimming any tough gristle from the goat. Keep the two meats in separate bowls so they can be skewered separately — chicken and goat cook at different speeds.
Even cubes cook evenly; a small piece next to a big one means one burns while the other stays raw inside.
Done when: The cubes are all roughly the same size, about the size of a walnut.
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2
Mix the Marinade and Marinate
10 Mins Active, 4 Hours Marinating
Refrigerated, about 4°C (39°F)
Heat the 30 ml mustard oil in a small pan until it just smokes, then take it off the heat and cool completely. Whisk it with the 60 g yogurt, grated garlic and ginger, 30 ml lemon juice, cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, timur and 5 g salt. Massage the marinade into the chicken and goat, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
The timur and mustard oil are slow to give up their flavour — four hours is the minimum, overnight is noticeably better.
Done when: The meat is evenly coated in a thick, golden, spice-flecked marinade.
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3
Thread the Skewers
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Thread the chicken onto some skewers and the goat onto others, leaving a small gap between cubes so the heat can reach all sides. Do not pack the meat tightly, and keep chicken and goat on separate skewers.
Flat metal skewers stop the cubes spinning when you turn them; if you use bamboo, soak them for 30 minutes first so they do not burn.
Done when: Each skewer holds 5–6 cubes with a finger-width gap between them.
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4
Build the Charcoal Fire
20 Mins
Hot charcoal, about 230°C (450°F)
Burn hardwood or lumpwood charcoal down until the coals are grey-ashed with no flame — a flaming fire deposits soot, while grey coals give clean radiant heat of about 230°C (450°F).
Wait for the grey ash; impatience here is the most common reason sekuwa tastes of smoke instead of spice.
Done when: The coals are evenly grey, glowing underneath, with no visible flame.
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5
Grill the Skewers
15 Mins
Hot charcoal, about 230°C (450°F); chicken must reach 74°C (165°F)
Lay the skewers over the coals and grill for 12–15 minutes, turning every 2 minutes so the edges char in patches without burning. Baste once with a little extra mustard oil halfway through. The chicken must reach 74°C (165°F) at its thickest point and the goat should be cooked through with no pink in the centre.
Sear first for colour, then move the skewers to a cooler part of the grill to finish — the char is a flavour, not an accident, but black all over is burnt.
Done when: The cubes are browned and charred at the edges, the juices run clear, and the chicken reads 74°C (165°F) on a thermometer.
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6
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Serve hot, above 60°C (140°F)
Rest the skewers for 5 minutes, then slide the meat off onto a plate. Squeeze over the remaining lemon, scatter with the sliced onion and fresh coriander, and serve at once with beaten rice and pickles.
Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat — cut into a cube straight off the fire and the juice runs out onto the plate.
Done when: The meat is hot, juicy, and smoky, with a citrusy tingle from the timur.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Slide the skewers off the grill, rest them for 5 minutes, then pile the meat onto a plate with sliced onion and coriander — serve hot, straight from the coals, with beaten rice and pickles on the side.
Nepal
1h 25m
