Staples & Mains
Chicken Sekuwa
कुखुराको सेकुवा
Sekuwa is meat marinated in mustard oil, yoghurt, ginger-garlic and toasted Nepali spices, then skewered and grilled over charcoal until the edges char and smoke. Eastern Nepal, especially Dharan and Tarahara in Sunsari district, is famous for it, and roadside sekuwa houses grill to order all evening. It is eaten with chiura, sliced onion and a sharp achar, and traditionally washed down with raksi.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
At the stove
Method
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry pan until fragrant, then grind them fresh; this is what separates good sekuwa from ordinary grilled chicken.
Whisk the mustard oil, yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste and lemon juice together, then beat in all the ground spices, the jimbu and salt.
Add the chicken and turn it thoroughly so every piece is coated, working the marinade in with your hands.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, so the mustard oil and acid can penetrate the meat.
Thread the chicken onto skewers, leaving small gaps between pieces so the heat reaches all sides.
Grill over hot charcoal, turning every couple of minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes until the outside is blistered and darkly charred in patches.
Test a thick piece for doneness, then let the skewers rest briefly so the juices redistribute.
Slide the meat off the skewers onto a plate and serve hot with chiura, raw onion rings and lemon to squeeze over.
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