I first got a taste of spicy cumin lamb skewers during what was meant to have been a satay feast at my parents’ house in Sydney’s southwest. In amongst the hundreds of Malaysian satays that were cooked up that day, there  were also some Xinjiang-style lamb skewers; apparently it was a dish introduced to them by their new northern Chinese friends from church.

As a loyal Malaysian, I was there for the satays, but I was immediately converted once I tasted the lamb skewers; I was even more impressed when I found out how easy they were to make. No lengthy list of ingredients and no marinating required beforehand; just skewers of lamb sprinkled with salt, cumin and chilli flakes as they cooked on the grill.

I did a quick online search and found some recipes that do require marinating and some additional ingredients, but this version was what I ate at my parents’ as taught by their Xinjiang friends, and I think it works great, so here it is.

Xinjiang Lamb Skewers with Cumin

INGREDIENTS:

1 kg lamb, cut into 2cm cubes

2 TBSP salt

2 TBSP cumin powder

2 TBSP chilli flakes

Oil for brushing

Bamboo skewers

METHOD:

1. Skewer the lamb pieces onto bamboo sticks; make sure there are no gaps in between the chunks of meat.
2. Place lamb skewers on hot barbecue or grill, brush with a little oil and sprinkle with salt, cumin and chilli flakes.
3. Repeat on the other side.
4. Cook until done, remove and serve immediately.

The post How to Make Spicy Lamb Skewers with Cumin first appeared on Jackie M..