Barbeque - A Trial by Fire

We came back from Easter holidays (a mere 4 days) to find the season had turned a new leaf..literally. The tree visible from our living room window had sprouted pink flowers. The ones next to nearby bus stop had white ones. From a distance they look like a painter has laboured to put the dots on each branch to make them look like flowers. The day light saving in UK makes the weather changes very sudden. One evening you might be walking back home in dim sunlight and the next day you can feel the warmth of the sun when you are cooking dinner. Ok agreed I am exaggerating a bit...but you would have to agree it is only a bit :-). Our friends had come back from India and other trips and there was a serious need to meet and catch-up. The last weekend was fixed and we trooped over to the edges of Cotswold countryside to enjoy the sun. I have stayed in bungalows for the first 22 years of my life. And then Bombay happened to me. And I got used to perching on the top of high-rise buildings and sharing walls with strangers. The trend continues here as well. Much as I liked independent houses, the practicalities of keeping it clean and security makes us opt for flats. So whenever given a chance we love the country cottage feel of our friend’s dwellings.

It is officially summer, although the nip in the air sometimes doesn’t make you feel that way, so we decided have a barbeque. It meant we girls would actually not be in kitchen all the time trying to outdo each other with newest tried recipes. It was the first time we were trying the ritual of barbeque. We had heard of the basics and rest was left to google. The first attempt to fire up the coal resulted in a smoke so bad, it might have rivalled the one spurted by the unpronounceable (I am glad there are difficult things to pronounce in the world than my name) volcano in Iceland. Ok.. not that much..but certainly qualified for a complaint from the neighbour, if only they were not doing a barbeque as well.


Frantic search through google (how did we ever survive before it!!!) and few fixes later things were manageable and it looked like we were going to get lunch after all. Not just charred pieces of coal.

The veggies grill section certainly looked more colourful than the non veg. We did end up with more variety than a normal lunch.

Pineapple with cinnamon, olives, corn on the cob accompanied by at least 4 different dips, there was a lot going on. At the end of it all we had eaten so much that I could compare myself with a python and empathize with what the beast might feel after eating many times than what it can digest in one day. And my behaviour resembled one too. We all of us didn’t probably move much than the positions we took in the living room after this assault. While the stomach got to work, rest of the body just gave up. But it was a great first time barbeque and I hope will be followed up by many more.

There is no recipe this time. It is more of the experience that I wanted to share. One of the chicken was murg malai tikka which I have already shared as my post ‘Heaven on Earth’. The other chicken tikka is a shortcut. Chicken marinated with yoghurt and Everest Chicken Masala.Yes thats it. Things can be so simple. Thought I must admit I didn’t like using the ready made masala. I have come to take pride in my own preparations. But I am glad I did. Because the time saved was well enjoyed with friends. So we had two marinades a white and a red. And there were batches of paneer and chicken both marinated in them.

All then we had to do was get them skewered and grilled over the barbeque.


The barbeque allowed our better halves almost equal participation in the cooking process and I am happy to say, they did the job well. The sun shone down fiercely from above while the coal flames licked the dripping chicken and paneer pieces and turned them succulent. The grilled fare was stuff of dream. The smokey undertone to the tikkas poked our tastebuds and the subtle spices of the marinade tingled the palate. I guess this is how some food critic might have written if they would have reviewed our barbeque. For us it just tasted good enough to eat.

I would have taken a proper picture of the food if only it survived longer than 10 minutes after coming off the heat. So there are no finished products to show :-)

A small ode to barbeque.

The Barbecue

When summer evenings are nice and hot,
The thing to do is find a spot,
Where a barbecue can be set up,
So everyone can come and sup,
Relax with a bottle, and sit for a spell
Which would be really nice and would end the day well,
And enjoy the light hearted, cheerful chatter,
With friends, who to you, truly matter.
Right! The table's set, the flares are lit,
The music should be a real hit
The friends have arrived, the drink if flowing,
Laughter starts, the barbecue's glowing,
The cooking has started, the aroma's divine,
Everyone is getting along fine,

Not original but a google search. I have copied part of the poem but you could read the full version here http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-barbecue/